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39
Local Authority a list giving the names and addresses of all employed
in homework during the previous six months.
Notifications received from Greenwich firms of:—
(a) Outworkers resident in the Borough 12
(b) Outworkers resident outside the Borough 30
Notifications received from firms outside the Borough of:—
Outworkers resident in the Borough 140
Total number of Greenwich residents employed as
outworkers (as given in August list) 76
Premises where homework is carried on were visited on 82
occasions by the Lady Sanitary Inspector. In no instance was it
necessary to take action because of infectious disease.
River Pollution.—As reported in previous years, smells from
the River, due to a permanent concentration of sewage effluent
moving up and down with the tides, continue to be a source of
complaint and improvement in the position is impossible until the
additions visualised at the Northern and Southern Outfalls are
complete. These improvements comprise:—
(i) Diffused air plant to treat 60 million gallons of sedimented
sewage per day at Northern Outfall Works (approximate cost
£3,250,000).
(ii) Sludge digestion plant to treat all sludge produced at Northern
Outfall Works (approximate cost £2,225,000).
(iii) Diffused air plant to treat 60 million gallons of sedimented
sewage per day at Southern Outfall Works (approximate cost
£2,800,000).
(iv) Sludge digestion plant to treat all sludge produced at Southern
Outfall Works (approximate cost £1,515,000).
The London County Council Rivers and Drainage Committee
has estimated that projects (i) and (ii) above will take from 1954 to
1958 to complete and Stages (iii) and (iv) from 1958 to 1962.
This Committee stated that "the completion of these works
would enable all the sewage at both outfalls to receive efficient
sedimentation and two-thirds of the effluents to be further purified
by the activated sludge process and should lower the sewer pollution
load sufficiently to render the River inoffensive from this source at
all times."
When one remembers that some 25 years ago " sticklebacks "
could be netted anywhere along the Greenwich Reach and that it
was a common occurrence to see children carrying seaweed away
from the River, it is a poor reflection on the ability of modern
society to keep its house in order.