View report page

57
SANITATION.
Dust Removal.—House refuse is collected once a week and is either disposed of by
cremation in the Council's destructor at Wood Lane or removed by barge from the wharf in
Kensal Road. The period of seven days is the maximum period during which the Council are permitted
by the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, to allow refuse to accumulate on premises within
their district. Trade refuse is removed by the Council on payment of a fee in accordance with the
provisions of Section 33 of the same Act. Fish offal and other offensive trade products, which could
be removed on application as trade refuse, are for the most part removed and sold by the persons
to whom this class of refuse belongs. Where movable ashpits have been provided, fixed ashpits
have been removed in accordance with the requirements of the London County Council (General
Powers) Act, 1904, Part IV., Sec. 23.
Drainage Work.—All drainage work in connection with new buildings is carried out under
the supervision of the Borough Engineer, who also supervises the reconstruction of drains on
existing premises where the work is undertaken by the owner on his own initiative. The reconstruction
of drains found to be defective by the sanitary inspectors is carried out under their
supervision, plans of any proposed alteration being submitted in the first instance to the Borough
Engineer and then handed on to the Public Health Department.
Public Lavatories —The Lady Inspectors' report on lavatories reserved for women is
as follows :─ " We have kept under observation the lavatory accommodation at the eleven railway
stations in the Borough, and in that part of Earl's Court Exhibition which is situated in Kensington.
As a rule the lavatories are well kept and clean, especially in those cases where a woman is
constantly in attendance during the hours when the stations are open to the public. At two station
lavatories where no attendant is kept serious nuisances have been found on more than one occasion
during the year. The railway company concerned sends a woman twice during the day to inspect
the station lavatories and to carry out any cleansing that may be necessary, but in response to representations
which have been made to the managers, no steps have so far been taken to provide
the constant supervision which is necessary if nuisance is to be avoided.
The three public lavatories provided by the Council for women have also been inspected from
time to time."
Nuisance from Smoke.- Notices were served in two instances in which "black" smoke
was observed issuing from chimneys in such quantity as to be a nuisance. In no instance was it
found necessary to institute legal proceedings.
The new London County Council (General Powers) Bill, 1910, seeks to empower the London
County Council to enforce the provisions of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, as to nuisance
from smoke on request by the sanitary authority affected, and Section 20 of the Bill proposes the
omission of the word " black " in paragraph (b) of Section 24 of the Act of 1891.
Sub-section (4) Section 21 of the Bill reads as follows: " For the purposes of this Section the
(County) Council may institute any proceedings and do any act as if within the meaning of the
Act of 1891 the Council were a Sanitary Authority and the county were their district.
Legal Proceedings.—Summonses were issued in 11 cases for offences under the Public
Health Acts. A penalty of £5 was inflicted for the removal of offensive matter during prohibited
hours. The occupier of a basement room in a house let in lodgings was fined £3 for failing to
keep the room in accordance with the bye-laws, the fine to be remitted in the event of the requirements
of the sanitary inspector being carried out within seven days. In the remaining cases the
summonses were withdrawn, the necessary work having been carried out in each instance before
the date upon which the summons was heard.
SANITARY INSPECTION.
A complete list of the members of the staff of the Public Health Department will be found on
the page following the title page of this report. For the purposes of sanitary inspection the
Borough is divided into ten districts, one of which is allotted to each of the ten male sanitary
inspectors, who carry out duties under the Public Health Act, the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts,
the London County Council General Powers Acts and so far as men's workshops are concerned
under the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901. A special inquiry officer has been appointed for the
investigation of infectious disease and the supervision of disinfection. There are two female sanitary
inspectors, whose duties consist in the inspection of workshops where women are employed and