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30
REMOVAL OF HOUSE REFUSE.
In accordance with the Contract, all house refuse has to be removed at
least twice a week, and oftener if required by the Medical Officer of Health.
In the main thoroughfares there is a daily collection before 10 a.m.
As usual, much attention was given to securing the regular removal of house
refuse. A large number of inspections were made by me and the inspectors,
including early morning inspections, of the streets in which there is a daily
removal. Only 25 genuine complaints respecting non-removal of house refuse
were received from householders, more than two-thirds of which were received
after the commencement of the War, and more than half of them in the last
quarter, when a number of the dustmen had enlisted or had taken up other work,
and much difficulty was experienced by the Contractors in maintaining an
adequate supply of efficient dustmen. 113 notices were served for the provision
of proper dust receptacles.
The Contractors agreed to arrange without any additional charge for the
daily collection of house refuse from Bedford Place, Upper Bedford Place,
Montague Street, Upper Montague Street, and Torrington Square, provided that
the house refuse was placed in small covered receptacles on the kerb or in an
accessible position in the front area by 7.30 a.m. With the consent of the Committee
I wrote to the occupiers of the houses in the above streets, asking whether
they are prepared to co-operate if arrangements are made for the early daily
removal of house refuse. Prom the occupiers of the first four streets the replies
received were almost unanimous in favour of the same, in fact in two of the
streets all the occupiers consented, and in one of the remaining two all but one
had already consented at the time of my second report to the Committee. The
early morning collection was accordingly begun on the 13th July.
During the year a number of applications were received for the removal
of trade refuse for which the Contractor is paid by the owners in accordance
with Section 33 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
REMOVAL OF MANURE.
The removal of manure was again generally carried out satisfactorily, only
two genuine complaints were received, and in the three preceding years no
complaints. Posters requiring the periodical removal of manure and other refuse
matter from all stables or other premises in the Borough not less frequently than
every 48 hours were again posted in the various mews in the Borough.