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88
Public Cleansing.
I am indebted to the Borough Surveyor for the information
on this subject which is summarised below.
The collection of house and trade refuse is carried out weekly,
except in the case of blocks of dwellings, hospitals, schools, &c.,
where the collection is done more frequently. Since the
closing in 1935 of the Council's destructor, the refuse is wholly
disposed of by barging to suitable " tips " outside London. The
removal is carried out under contract which imposes stringent
conditions for the avoidance of nuisance.
The horse-drawn vehicles used for collection are gradually
being replaced by the latest type of mechanically propelled
freighters, and recently the " Container " system has been introduced.
By this system, the refuse at public institutions, housing
estates, blocks of flats, &c., is deposited into containers of 1¼ yard
capacity, and such containers with the refuse are collected daily,
and clean containers left for the next day's collection. The used
containers, after being emptied, are washed at the wharf.
For the cleansing works the beat system is in operation.
A number of roads are allocated to each sweeper, and he is responsible
for the cleansing of such roads. Orderly barrows, with four bins
each, which when full are taken to a street receptacle and replaced
by empty bins, are provided. The refuse is collected by motor
freighters, augmented as occasion requires with horse vans.
As in the case of house and trade refuse the street refuse is
disposed of by contract and carted away to suitable tips.
The total quantity disposed of during the year ended 31st
December, 1937, was :—
Tons. Tons.
House refuse 29,571 Trade refuse, stalls 2,095
Street refuse 2,697 do. shops 1,074
There are no earth closets, privies, or cesspools in the Borough.
Houses Let in Separate Tenements.
The by-laws of the London County Council with regard to
houses let in separate tenements, so far as they are applicable,
are enforced by the Council.
There are 65 premises in Battersea registered as houses let in
separate tenements and 331 inspections of these premises were made
in 1937.