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to have been delivered at Nine Elms Goods Yard en route to a
Firm in Bermondsey Borough. Application was made to the
Lambeth Councils' contractors, but they could not, or would not,
remove it in their barges. After an unfortunate delay, the food
was destroyed in the Destructor of the City Corporation (situated in
Commercial Road) by special arrangement. The Lambeth Council
has no Destructor in which such unsound food, or trade refuse,
etc., can be destroyed, and yet by Section 33 of the Public
Health (London) Act 1891 it is compulsory upon such Council,
as the Sanitary Authority, to remove all trade refuse on application
by the owner or occupier of the premises, whereon
such trade refuse exists, at the expense of such owner or occupier.
Arrangements have been made during 1903 by which unsound
food and trade refuse (to be dealt with in Lambeth) will be
destroyed by the Westminster City Corporation in their Destructor
(situated in Commercial Road, Lambeth) at a cost of 10s. per ton
of refuse destroyed—an arrangement which, though satisfactory,
must only be regarded as a temporary one, pending such time
as the Lambeth Council may provide a Destructor, or Destructors,
of its own.
An enquiry was held at the Guildhall on April 21th and May
18th, 1903, by the Local Government Board, with regard to the
suggested transference of the powers and duties of Riverside
Sanitary Authorities (with respect to unsound food) to the Port
Sanitary Authority of the City Corporation. Such a transference
was strenuously opposed by the 15 Riverside Authorities
concerned as being against the Public Health interests, and
contrary to the trend of Municipal Legislation, and the opposition
was, fortunately, successful in that the Board refused to make
any such transference. The Medical Officer of Health of
Lambeth gave evidence against the suggested transference.
It was shewn to the Board's Inspector that there was no lack
of supervision in inspection by any of the Riverside Authorities
concerned so that there was no need for any change in the
administration as at present carried out. h