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115
As an outcome of the enquiry by the Committee, and on their recommendation, the
County Council on 29th March, 1898, instructed the Parliamentary Committee to take the
necessary steps to ' obtain such an amendment of the law as would give the sanitary authorities
power to charge for the removal of manure when required by the owner or occupier of any premises
to remove it.' The Parliamentary Committee reported (3rd November, 1898) that the instructions
of the Council to take the necessary steps to obtain such an amendment of the law would involve
an amendment of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and this would necessitate the introduction
of a separate public Bill: it therefore occurred to them that there were probably other
respects in which amendments of the Act were desired, and which could most conveniently be dealt
with at the same time. They accordingly consulted the Public Health Committee, who, being of
opinion that the question was not of so urgent a character as to necessitate the introduction of a
public bill to deal with it alone, instructed the officers of the Council to report as to other
amendments of the Public Health Act which could be dealt with in the same Bill; and hence the
enquiry referred to at page 105 in the present report, which hitherto has bcrne no fruit.
The County Council adopted the recommendation of the Parliamentary Committee, and
discharged the reference.
It is hardly necessary to observe that the proposed ' amendment of the law' would not have
sufficed to give effect to the recommendation of the Borough Engineer, based on the views so long
advocated in these reports. It would, moreover, be of small value; for even now, though the
sanitary authority are authorised to remove the refuse free of charge, occupiers of stables do not
seek their aid. How much less likely would they be to do so if they had to pay fcr the service ?
No, the only useful amendment of law is that which I have so often advocated; viz., to make it the
duty of the sanitary authority to remove the refuse at the reasonable cost of the owner. In this
Borough, besides nearly 200 mews, there are a great number of private stables and thousands of
horses ; the need, therefore, of regular removal of manure is pressing, and I suggest that it would
be well for the Council to exercise their power to promote a Bill in Parliament for that purpose;
an additional motive for speedy action in this direction may be derived from the large outlay
(£2,500) about to be incurred for "sidings" intended for use in connection with this proposed
work, and, so far as would appear at present, not otherwise likely to be immediately wanted.
Conveyance of Offensive Matter Through Streets.—Reference has been made aDove
to nuisance arising from the use of peat stable refuse, and to the necessity of depositing such refuse
in a suitable carriage on removal from the stables, so as to allow of its conveyance from the premises
without disturbance, such as takes place when the manure is stored in an ordinary brick receptacle ,
the stenches complained of being due, as already explained, to such disturbance. Reference,
moreover, has frequently been made in these reports to nuisance in connection with the storage and
removal of other offensive matter—more particularly that of the trades of fishmonger, game dealer,
poulterer, etc. Refuse of this latter description is required by the by-law of the County Council to
be removed, within prescribed hours, in a ' suitable carriage or vessel properly constructed,' and
covered, ' so as to prevent the escape' of any of the contained matter, ' and so as to prevent any
nuisance arising therefrom.' During some years, at the instance of the late Vestry and the Council,
peat manure at the large yards occupied by omnibus companies and other large proprietors of horses,
has been stored in waggons, and removed in them, without giving rise to serious complaint. With
regard to other forms of offensive matter, the views expressed in these reports indicate the desirability
of fish offal, and such like matters, being removed from the tradesmen's premises in the storage
vessels, and not, as now, in tank-vans, the use of which involves more or less nuisance, both when
the contents of the shop receptacles are tipped into the tank, and in transit through the streets.
Given properly covered, externally clean, and sound metal receptacles, no nuisance is likely to arise
in transit through the streets, at whatever time of day removal may be effected, and on purely
sanitary grounds there need be no limitation of hours for the removal.
The necessity for amendment of the by-law, especially with a view to prevent nuisance in
connection with the removal of peat stable manure, had long been recognised, and in 1901, a new
by-law was made by the County Council and approved by the Local Government Board, as follows:—
" 1. Every person who shall remove or carry, or cause to be removed or carried, by road or
water in or through London any fecal or offensive or noxious matter or liquid, whether such
matter or liquid shall be in course of removal or carriage from within or without or through
London, shall use, or cause to be used, therefor, a suitable carriage or vessel, properly
constructed, and furnished with a sufficient covering so as to prevent the escape of any matter
or liquid therefrom, and so as to prevent any nuisance arising therefrom.
" Such person shall not remove or carry, or cause to be removed or carried, such matter or
liquid by road in or through London, except during the following periods, viz.—
" Between 4 o'clock a.m. and 10 o'clock a.m. in any day during the months of March,
April, May, June, July August, September, and October.