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32
deposit gauge and lead peroxide candle give only monthly figures and
there can be no indication from them of the day-to-day variations.
Whilst the instruments may still be of use for obtaining purely local
information it did not seem to be reasonable to continue their use
solely to enable the monthly reports to be sent to the Department of
Scientific and Industrial Research and readings were discontinued on
31st December, 1960,
There have been improvements in the continuous filter which
by means of a small electrically operated pump draws a measured
amount of air through a piece of filter paper to remove the smoke
particles and then through a solution of hydrogen peroxide to absorb
the oxides of sulphur. There has been more particularly improvement
in assessing the density of the stain on the filter paper which
gives a measure of the amount of smoke in the air and it is hoped
that this will lead to a much more accurate assessment of the effects
of smoke control procedure.
Smoke Nuisances
A total of 37 alleged or actual smoke nuisances were investigated
during the year. These included garden bonfires, smuts and
fumes from domestic oil-fired boilers, emissions from a cinema
chimney and burning on building sites. No prosecutions proved
necessary and indeed very little formal action was taken. Almost
invariably it is found that practical advice and the suggestion that
a question of being unneighbourly arises is fully effective and there
is no doubt that causing smoke in any quantity is increasingly being
accepted as anti-social.
The two chronic individual aggravations in this borough
remain as before. The plant at a hospital continues to emit quantities
of dark smoke at frequent intervals in spite of every cooperation
from the staff operating it. Variations of fuel and running adjustments
prove mainly ineffectual while a quite basic and fairly costly
modification to the air-feed system appears to have improved
matters in some respects but worsened them in others. Plans are
already in hand for the complete reconstruction and modernisation
of the hospital and while contact with the management board, and
occasionally some pressure, have been maintained, it cannot be
considered reasonable to require replacement of the out-worn
boiler plant at this time.