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63
SANITARY WORK.
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. In compliance with notices served by the Sanitary
Inspectors, 733 new moveable ash-bins of galvanised iron have been provided during the year, and
193 fixed ash-pits of brick have been abolished under the powers conferred by Section 23 of the
London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1904.
During an experimental period of three months from July to October, house refuse was removed
daily in that part of the Golborne Ward which lies north of the Great Western Railway, and a
bi-weekly collection is to be instituted from April to October in 1914 throughout the Borough.
Drainage Work.—All drainage work in connection with new buildings is carried out under
the supervision of the Borough Engineer, who also supervises the construction 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. During the year 98 house drains have
been reconstructed under notices served by the Sanitary Inspectors.
Nuisance from Smoke.—301 observations of chimney shafts in the Borough were made,
and notices were served in three instances where black smoke was seen issuing in such quantities
as to be a nuisance. In no case was it found necessary to institute legal proceedings to procure
the abatement of nuisance from black smoke.
Public Conveniences.—The Council provide five public lavatories containing water-closets:
two are for men only, and in three accommodation is provided for both sexes. In addition there
are 12 urinals for men under the charge of the Council. In the women's lavatories there is free
accommodation for those who are unable to pay. There are also conveniences for women at eleven
railway stations in the Borough. The public-house urinals entered from the street and available
to the public number 75. The public conveniences in the Borough have been regularly inspected
during the year, those for women in stations and elsewhere having been kept under observation
by the Lady Sanitary Inspectors.
A report was submitted to the Public Health Committee drawing their attention to the need
of public accommodation for both sexes in the neighbourhood of the Earl's Court Road, midway
between the Fulham Road and Kensington High Street, and the matter is now receiving the
consideration of the Works Committee.
Sanitary Inspection.—A complete list of 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 Housing
Acts, 1890-1909, the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, the Rag Flock Act, 1911, 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 enquiry officer has been appointed for the investigation of
infectious disease and the supervision of disinfection. There are two women sanitary inspectors,
whose duties consist in the inspection of workshops where women are employed, and in visiting
cases of measles, whooping cough and consumption. The work of the two health visitors consists
in visiting mothers of the poorer class and advising them in the care and management of their
infants, in visiting cases of ophthalmia in newly born infants and in assisting with the work at three
of the schools for mothers. A summary of the work of the sanitary inspectors will be found in
Table X., Appendix, p. 84.