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42
Two major hindrances to securing smoke abatement have been
(a) the character of the solid fuel supply. This has considerably
improved in recent years and several firms have been persuaded to convert
their plant to oil combustion, and
(b) lack of concern by stokers. Some success in overcoming this has
been achieved by the personal influence of the inspectors. Whenever
possible the provision of mirrors to enable the firemen to observe the
emission from their chimneys has been encouraged. A short course for
stokers and boiler men was organized in 1954 in co-operation with the
Northampton Polytechnic.
2. Domestic Premises.
These are, taken altogether, the greater polluters of the air and
it is regretted that little advance has been made in reducing the
smoke emitted from them, although appliances suited to the burning of
smokeless fuels have been installed in not a few cases and new blocks
of flats have been supplied with some form of central heating. The
principal difficulty has been in the supply and cost of the smokeless
fuels.
3. Railway Engines.
Although there are no main line stations or shunting yards in the
borough and this source of smoke is not such a serious nuisance as in
some other areas, yet belching of smoke from exposed portions of the
line from King's Cross to Moorgate which passes alongside and below
King's Cross and Farringdon Roads adds materially to the pollution of
air in this part of Finsbury and is frequently a nuisance to those
close by.
4. Diesel Engines.
The pollutants from these engines are particularly noxious when
there is faulty adjustment, when freshly started up and when ascending
hills. Although little research has yet taken place in regard to
this matter it has probably less significance here than in those areas
with steaper or longer hills. Nevertheless it is not a problem that
may be ignored.
Generally speaking I am of opinion that there has been a very
considerable reduction of pollution in the years since the war although
the number of complaints has been slightly higher in recent years.
This may well be due to a greater realization by the public of the
damage caused to health by smoke.