London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Islington 1928

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]

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53
[1928
Dumps.— From Islington great quantities of refuse are forwarded to large
dumps in Hertfordshire. The Council's officers inspect these dumps and insist
on reasonable management on the lines of the tipping precautions (recommended
by the Ministry of Health), for which the Council has to pay rather heavily. A
few years ago these dumping grounds were much complained of; but the conditions
have since been greatly improved as the result of changes in methods of
formation and management. In 1925-26, 71,335 tons from Islington were
carried by the London and North Eastern Railway.
This was made up of 69,635 tons of house refuse and 1,700 tons of trade
refuse. The area of Islington in acres is 3,092, the mileage of streets 121.40, and
the population mid-year, 1925, 339,200. The approximate area of carriageways
in square yards for the borough is 2,023,000, the tonnage of street debris collected
was 13,012. There are 7,317 street gullies, consisting of 5,154 in brick, 2,129 in
stoneware, and 34 in iron. Gullies are cleansed approximately every two months.
As regards the cost, the house, trade and market refuse costs for collection
£46,892, disposal £35,701, a total of £82,593, being a rate of 10.5d. in the
£. The street cleansing; costs £62,342, giving a rate of 7.8d., and the total cost
of the cleansing service £144,935, giving a rate of 18.3d. There were employed
10 horse vans and 26 mechanical vehicles, and the staff consisted of 126 collectors
and drivers, 4 clerical, 56 others, a grand total of 186, including supervisory staff.
The net cost of collection per ton was 32s. 2d., the dumping rail contract rate
7s. 6d., net inclusive cost of disposal 10s.
As regards the premises from which the refuse was collected, these numbered
48,043, the number of collection calls made per week, 54,179; the weight of the
refuse collected per man (collectors and drivers) per day (300 to the year), 37.7
cwts., the approximate number of premises per man per day, 72. Taking 300
days to the year, the refuse yield per 1,000 of the population was 14.02 cwts., and
the percentage of the total yield 5.9. Coming to the places served, 43,896 were
served weekly, 2,170 twice weekly, 1,973 three times per week, and 4 daily.
As regards trade refuse, 42 were served weekly, 27 twice weekly, 10 three
times weekly, two daily, and one five times per week.
In the Dawes Report are two illustrations of the London and North Eastern
Railway siding at Ashburton Grove, with the inscription, "Railway Siding littered
with refuse," presumably to indicate how much paper and like combustible rubbish
might possibly be incinerated.
The Seasonal Analysis of Islington refuse is interesting from the variation in
Winter, Spring and Summer.
Paper, tins, broken glass, rags predominating in the Summer.

Percentages of 10 Tons.

Winter.Spring.Summer.
Fine dust passing 5/16 inch mesh35.8028.4820.01
small cinders passing ¾ inch mesh22.6122.3111.25
Large cinder passing 1½ inch mesh21.3015.357.94
vegetable and Putrescible matter1.462.721.57
Bones.77.90.96
Rags, bagging and textile1.561.432.13
Paper and Cardboard7.3412.7420.06
Metal containers1.331.783.66
Other metal1.461.90.96
Unbroken glass bottles and jars1.201.39.67
Broken glals1.691.882.63
Wood, straw, leather, &c. (combustible debris)2.076.6324.82
Brick, stone, pottery (incombustible)1.412.493.34