View report page

21
Rat Week.
In the observation of Eat Week in the Borough we endeavoured as in previous
years to secure during the six days, 2nd to 7th November, intensive action and
co-operation by occupiers in rat infested blocks. As a corollary to this, the
importance of systematic routine work for the extermination of rats and the
prevention of rat infestation was emphasised.
Suitable poisons were sold in the Public Health Department and an increased
quantity of rat baits laid in the sewers under the Council's control. It is customary
to put down about 520 baits per week. During Rat Week the number was
increased to about 2,600. The sewermen reported that dead rats are sometimes
seen and they expressed the view that when dead the rats are washed away down
the sewers, and further that there has been a decrease in the number of rats
seen in the sewers during the past few years.
The results obtained from the special work in Rat Week are included in the
summary table on page 20.
Smoke Abatement.
The smoke shafts in the Borough were kept under frequent inspection, 265
observations being recorded. A number of these were made in the early morning
when smoke pollution is more prevalent and frequently the observations extended
for periods of not less than one hour. Thirteen complaints were received of
nuisances from the emission of smoke. As the result of inspections made eight
intimation notices and two statutory notices were served. In order to avoid any
recurrence of the nuisances the owners of one building converted their boilers to
make then suitable for oil feeding. In another case the proprietor of an hotel
adopted a suggestion made by the Public Health Department to discontinue using
coal dust with coke as fuel for their boilers and subsequently arranged to have
their entire plant thoroughly overhauled.
During the year the London County Council made a By-law under Section 2
of the Public Health (Smoke Abatement) Act, 1926, for regulating the emission
of smoke within the County of London. The By-law provides that the emission
of black smoke for a period of three minutes in the aggregate within any continuous
period of thirty minutes from any one chimney of a building other than a private
dwelling house shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to be a nuisance
liable to be dealt with summarily under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891.
At the end of five years the period of emission allowed is to be reduced to two
minutes. The By-law should prove of considerable assistance to local authorities
in dealing with smoke nuisances.
Inspection of Workshops, etc.
The routine inspection of factories, workshops and workplaces has been carried
out during the year. 557 factories were inspected, 623 workshops and 3,768
workplaces.