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Owing to the coming into force of the Public Health (Meat)
Regulations, 1924, in the Spring of 1925, the time seemed ripe
for considering whether an attempt might not be made to regulate,
to some extent, the sale of other articles of food, besides meat, in
our street markets. The result was that the following report was
made by me to the Council on the 16th June, 1925:—
"Many complaints have been received during the last few
years of the dirty condition of that part of Tower Bridge Road
occupied by the stalls. The practice is for the stallholders to
dump their refuse on the roadway, and this refuse consists of
vegetable leaves, rotten fruit and vegetables, fish cuttings, and
packings, such as straw, sawdust, etc.
At the present time the Surveyor's Department collects the
refuse after the markets are finished, but the condition of the
street while the market is in progress is most insanitary, produces
unpleasant smells and encourages the propagation of flies. The
Medical Officer asked the Chief Sanitary Inspector to make a
report as to what he considered the best way of remedying this
state of matters, which report we have had before us
The Council will remember that some time ago a system of
collection of unsound food was begun in the markets in Southwark
Park Road and Tower Bridge Road. This has proved most
successful, and the proposal is that the system should be extended
to the collection of the whole of the refuse in the various street
markets.
The Chief Sanitary Inspector's suggestions are:—
1. That the present system of unsound food collection
and disposal he extended to all refuse in the Tower Bridge
Road market, Southwark Park Road market, and Albion
Street market, and be under the Medical Officer of Health.
2. That two men with covered barrows be transferred
from the Surveyor's Department to the Public Health
Department for this work.
3. That this arrangement be tried lor a period of six
months, when the Medical Officer of Health could report
on the working."