View report page

68
Hand Sorting of Refuse.
(Special Report presented to the Council on October 15th, 1903).
The history of the action taken by the Lambeth Sanitary
Authority with reference to the question of the occupation of
refuse sorting by hand in connection with several Yards and
Depots in Lambeth may be tabulated as follow:—
February 1st, 1900.—Medical Officer was instructed by the
Vestry, on the recommendation of the Sanitary Committee, to
report on the employment of women for sorting the rubbish at
Phoenix and other Wharves, situated in Lambeth.—Minutes,
1900, page 104.
February 15th, 1900.—Medical Officer's Report was presented to,
and adopted by, the Vestry, and a copy of the Report was ordered
to be sent to the City Corporation and to the Clerkenwell Vestry,
suggesting that the practice of hand sorting of refuse should be
discontinued.—Minutes, 1900, pages 177-8.
March 29th, 1900.—Letter in reply from the Vestry Clerk of
the Clerkenwell Vestry, stating that "the Vestry are unable to
find a single instance in which the health of the women sifters has
been affected by the process of dust sifting, and that in view of
the fact that in November next St Luke's will be amalgamated
with Clerkenwell, when other arrangements could possibly be
made, they are not prepared to make any alteration in their
system at present."—Minutes, 1900, page 477.
October 11th, 1900.—Report was presented to the Vestry,
stating that the Clerkenwell Vestry had, on reconsideration of the
matter, discontinued the sorting of dust by women at their
Phoenix Wharf.
Report of Medical Officer, presented to the Vestry on
February 15th, 1900.
The refuse, consisting of household dust, ashes, and cinders from
fires, scrape of waste food, and other refuse matters, is sorted and
separated into—(1) breeze, consisting of cinders and small particles
of coal; (2) hard core, consisting of bottles, bones, crockery, metal
pots and pans, etc.; (3) soft core, consisting of animal and
vegetable matters and textile substances. The breeze and the hard
core are sold to brickmakers, builders, and others; whilst the soft
core is chiefly burnt, in each case in a destructor provided for the