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This, however, was not carried, and although the proposed
alteration was not a very great one, there would have been no saving
of labour, but rather additional trouble must arise in keeping two
distinct records of intimations served—one for ordinary owners, and
one for the Borough Council; and further, if any other large owner
of property should wish to be treated in the same way, the Council
could hardly consistently refuse, for it has been frequently stated on
behalf of the Housing Committee that they do not desire preferential
treatment. The question of principle, however, seems to me to be
very much larger, and I am bound to say that I look with suspicion
and distrust on any action which even in the slightest degree makes
a distinction in the procedure adopted towards the private owner on
the one hand and the Borough Council on the other. With the present
Housing Committee such a thing is of course unthinkable; but by
some future Committee not over-scrupulous in their methods it
might well be made use of as the thin end of the wedge to secure
different and preferential treatment.
Draft by-laws were submitted by the London County Council in
respect of fried-fish vendors, fish curers, and rag and bone dealers.
The frequency of removal was set out in the draft as twice a week
from May to October; but from experience of these businesses, I
did not think this to be sufficiently frequent, and I recommended,
which recommendation was adopted by the Committee, that it
should be three times a week during those months.
The proceedings in connection with the reconstruction of the
urinal belonging to a beerhouse in the Old Kent Road involved a
good deal of discussion. The brewers wished to rebuild the urinal,
which was not then even good of its kind; but the proposal met
the most strenuous opposition from some of the neighbours, who
wished it closed up altogether. The Committee eventually adopted
the view, which I am convinced was the right one, that to close the
urinal would inevitably lead to a worse condition of things, and they
therefore decided that reconstruction should be allowed provided
the design and entrance were of such a nature as to minimise any
nuisance.
Complaints are still received from the grain-drying works
referred to in my previous reports, and the premises have been kept
under strict observation. There can be little doubt that under some
weather conditions, or when the grains are no longer fresh, the
means adopted for the avoidance of the smell fail in their action
and give a cause of grievance to the neighbours. In justice, however,
to the owners of the works, I ought to mention that complaints
of smell have been made by persons on the west side of the factory
when the wind has been blowing from that quarter, that is, towards
the supposed source of smell.
The complaints of delay or of difficulty in getting the dust removed
have not been so frequent. They are at once referred to the
Borough Engineer's Department, and it is usually found that the
delay has been due to no one being at home when the dustmen
called. No complaints have been received of nuisance caused at the