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122
REPORT OF THE MEDICAL OFFICER OF HEALTH ON THE
BUSINESS OF FUR SKIN DRESSING AND THE PREVENTION
OF NUISANCE ARISING THEREFROM.
To the Chairman and, Members of the
Public Health Committee.
Gentlemen,
I have carefully considered the letter from the Clerk of the
London County Council, dated 25th February, 1913, in which he
states that the Deptford Metropolitan Borough Council has suggested
that further bye-laws should be made dealing with offensive businesses,
such as sorting and manipulation of gut (other than gut
scraping), cleansing of offal and treatment of skin and viscera,
and fat melting for dripping, and asking for the observations of
the Hackney Borough Council on this proposal, together with any
information which can be supplied relative to the extent to which
such businesses are carried on in the Borough and as to nuisance,
if any, which arises therefrom, and I beg herewith to report thereon.
With respect to the businesses named, certain of them, such as
sorting and manipulation of gut (other than gut scraping), cleansing
of offal, and the treatment of viscera are not carried on in Hackney.
Fat melting for dripping by butchers is carried on to a small
extent; but I have had no complaints of nuisance or inconvenience
from this cause.
The treatment of skins, other than that process known as
skin dressing, which is already subject to bye-laws of the London
County Council, is carried on in the Borough to a considerable
extent; but I regret to say that in certain cases the business has
been conducted in such a way as to give rise to serious nuisance, and
as a consequence to energetic complaints; moreover, considerable
difficulties have been experienced in obtaining an abatement of
the nuisances complained of, and the prevention of their recurrence.