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1903]
218
Removal and Disposal of Dust.—The removal of ashes, refuse and
dust from occupied houses was again accomplished in a satisfactory manner.
The number of complaints which were received, considering the great number
of separate assessments and houses, was insignificant, being altogether
only 152, or in the proportion of 0.331 per cent. of the assessments. To
understand the work, and to enable the Council to rightly appreciate the
change that has been effected since 1896 the following particulars are given: —
Year.
Applications to
remove dust.
Year.
Applications to
remove dust
1891 10,138 1898 303
1892 9,964 I899 262
1893 4,986 1900 234
1894 4,506 1901 157
1895 4,596 1902 198
1896 4,245 1903 152
1897 312
The weekly removal of house refuse effected a very great sanitary revolution,
and although it met with considerable opposition from some householders
and vestrymen, it may now be fearlessly asserted that there is not one
of these opponents who would revert to the old state of affairs. One great
objection was undoubtedly the fear that the nuisance caused by the disturbance
of the refuse, which was often the accumulation of three months or more,
would be a weekly instead of a quarterly one, forgetting that the great object
that was in view was to avoid such an annoyance by removing the refuse in
a comparatively fresh state. The introduction of the weekly removal has been
the cause of the abolition of thousands of the old fashioned fixed ashpits which
are now fast disappearing, being replaced by moveable iron or zinc receptacles.
The opinion of sanitarians, who have considered the question of household refuse
in its relation to health, is that a daily removal is essential to the highest state of
health. This is the view held by the London County Council, who, however,
have not pressed it on the metropolitan boroughs. They, however,
think that "it is most important that house refuse, which generally
contains decaying vegetable matter and rapidly becomes offensive,
should be removed at frequent intervals; and it appears to the Council that the
time has now arrived when an effort should be made to secure the collection of house
refuse in London more than once a week." (Letter to Metropolitan Borough received
1st June, 1901). In consequence of this opinion of the Council it is not
surprising to find that there is a proposal at present under their consideration
to substitute the word "twice" for "once" in the existing bylaw relating to
the removal of house refuse. The Medical Officer of Health entirely approves
of the suggestion, against which the only argument that has been advanced is
that of cost, which, it has been stated, would be doubled in Islington. This
statement must surely be erroneous, for although the journeys to and from the