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109
PUBLIC BATHS AND WASHHOUSES.
I am indebted to Mr. Buck, Superintendent, for the subjoined particulars:—The washers in
the year ended 31st March, 1907, were 69,787, compared with 71,604 in the preceding twelve
months; the bathers 135,895 (males 99,478, females 36,417), compared with 121,089 in 1905-6.
The total includes pupil teachers 466 (males 241, females 225). Number of evening continuation
classes 3,322 (males 1,224, females 2,098). School children 29,756 (males 15,508, females 14,248), and
members of boys' and girls' clubs, 1,391 (males 1,085, females 306). I can only repeat here what
has been remarked in many previous reports, that, for the majority of parishioners, the site of the
establishment is not sufficiently central for bathers, and is too remote for would-be washers.
The same objection would apply to any single site in the Borough. What is wanted is the provision,
in convenient localities, of buildings on a modest scale to which the poor in the central and southern
districts might resort for laundry purposes.
UNDERGROUND ROOMS ILLEGALLY OCCUPIED.
In a few instances rooms "underground" were found to be illegally occupied. The illegal
occupation was in each case discontinued on the service of a written intimation, or a statutory
notice.
NUISANCE FROM GAS WORKS.
Complaints are received every year of effluvium nuisance from the gas works at Kensal
Green—a subject fully dealt within the Annual Report for 1894 (page 166). There can be no
doubt as to the genuineness of the complaints, which receive confirmation from Willesden, the
inhabitants of that district suffering when Kensington people have no ground for complaint, and
vice versa; the incidence of nuisance varying with change in the direction of the wind. That the
cause of nuisance is more or less under control, would appear from the intermittency of the
complaints; and as the smells are at times not perceptible to any noxious degree in the vicinity of
the works.
In March, several complaints were received from (amongst others) residents in St. Quintin
Avenue and other streets in that vicinity. Written intimations of nuisance were served upon the
secretary of the Gas Light and Coke Company; and also upon the resident engineer, who
attributed the offensive effluvia to the defective condition of one of the scrubbers, then under
repair, the top having been taken off for the purpose. It was stated that the lime purifiers were
emptied, when necessary, between 2 and 3 a.m.; that every effort was made to reduce offensive
smells to a minimum, and that nuisance from this cause would cease in a few weeks, when the
process of purification of the gas by lime would come to an end, and oxide of iron only be used
for the purpose. The change having been brought about, no further cause for complaint arose, and
therefore no occasion for giving effect to the directions of the Public Health Committee for the
institution of proceedings.
DISINFECTION.
Not the least interesting event of the year was the opening of the Council's disinfecting
station at the Wood Lane depot, Shepherd's Bush. For many years—under powers conferred by
the Sanitary Act, 1866—the disinfecting of infected articles, clothing, bedding, etc., had been
carried out under contract—provision, moreover, having been made (in Kensington alone, I think)
for "cleansing," also, of such articles as admitted of washing.
For some years attention had been called in my reports to the desirability of the Sanitary
Authority providing a station, and doing the work by its own staff of disinfectors; and in 1896
the question "as to the desirability of the Vestry erecting a disinfecting station"
was referred to the Sanitary Committee. A sub-committee was appointed to view certain existing
stations, the most important seen being that at Islington, where, as the sub-committee reported,
"the Vestry have provided a most complete station, comprising two Nottingham disinfectors, and
ample laundry accommodation for washing and cleansing articles when necessary."
The sub-committee further reported that the cost of disinfecting and cleansing of infected
articles in Kensington, in the preceding three years—1893-4-5, had been £2,988, or, on an average,
about £1,000 per annum (irrespective of the wages of disinfecting officers), an amount which was
largely exceeded by the expenditure in 1896, viz., £1,361. I had expressed the opinion that the
work might be done at considerably less cost by the Vestry directly; but "as a result of the