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82
[Appendix IV.
appointed to work under the Bye-law was taken on to the permanent Staff of the Yestry in May,
1900, and no one has been yet appointed to replace him.
A considerable amount of information as to overcrowding, &c., in the houses on the Register,
and the advantages believed to have resulted from registration, was given in the Report for 1899.
(See pp. 106 et seq.)
Removal of Offensive Refuse.—There have been but few complaints since the last
Report was made with reference to nuisance from stable refuse. The alteration of Bye-law 1,
under Sec. 16 (1) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, referred to in the Annual Report for
1899, had not been effected at the close of the past year.
Proceedings were taken against certain firms for removing trade refuse of an offensive character
during prohibited hours. The particulars are set out under "Legal Proceedings " (p. 89).
Dust Removal.—The house refuse of the Parish is removed once a week. Complaints as to
non-removal, &c., do not come before the Department.
Collections were made twice a week from certain parts of the Parish during the last summer,
and in October of last year the Sanitary Committee recommended the Works Committee to
permanently continue the practice from flats. The use of gas stoves in flats adds very materially to
the difficulty of dealing with household refuse. In a well-ordered household, using coal ranges, all
green and other wet refuse is burned in the fire, and not put into the dustbin. This cannot be done
if all cooking be by gas. In many of the blocks of flats the buildings are so arranged that no
proper accommodation is provided for the dustbin, while the accommodation provided is often too
close to the windows of the lower flats. Given these two sets of circumstances, the only remedy
which will prove effective is a more frequent removal of dust. A daily removal is in force in many
of the provincial and a few metropolitan areas.
Refuse Wharves.—The Wharves on the Canal Basin have been kept under constant observation
to see that the work carried on thereat gives rise to no nuisance. By the provisions of
Bye-law 8, under Sec. 16 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, no refuse or any part of
such refuse may remain on the wharf for more than 24 hours, while the Paddington Act of 1826
limits the time to 12 hours. The exact fulfilment of these regulations is practically impossible, and
legal proceedings are in consequence not instituted, except in extreme cases.
Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890.—On November 2nd a complaint under
Sec. 31 of the Act was received from " four or more householders" in the neighbourhood of
Fernhead Road, calling attention to the insanitary condition of Nos. 80,82, and 84, Fernhead Road.
The specific complaint was the " overcrowding of Nos. 80, 82, and 84, and especially No. 84,
Fernhead Road, and the consequent inadequate and defective sanitary accommodation provided
therein." The premises were inspected by the Medical Officer of Health on the day the complaint
was received. He decided that the case was one to be dealt with under the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, not the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890. He reported to the Sanitary
Committee "that none of houses are overcrowded, and the sanitary conveniences already provided are
sufficient, and up to the standard prescribed by the Bye-laws of the London County Council."
The houses were found to be more or less dirty and in want of repairs, the roofs defective owing to
strain of telephone poles and wires, and two of the three drains unsound. Notices were issued
under Sec. 4 of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and all defects have been remedied, and the
houses put into good and substantial repair.
Although no overcrowding was found to exist, the houses were somewhat densely occupied,
as the appended statement shows:—