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ADMINISTRATIVE WORK.
Trade Nuisance.—Seven (7) complaints of an ordinary character were received with
reference to marine stores (one complaint), fishcuring (4), and smell from yards attached to fish
and fruit shop premises (2).
In September of last year the Kensington Borough Council wrote to the Council of this
Borough suggesting that the time allowed for the removal of offensive refuse should be altered
from the present hours (4 to 10 a.m. during March-October and 6 a.m. to noon during NovemberFebruary)
to 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. all the year round. The Council of this Borough declined to
endorse the suggestion. The principal argument in favour of the suggested change appears to
be the long interval between 10 a.m. (or noon) on Saturday and 4 or 6 a.m. on the following
Monday. The by-laws do not prohibit removal of refuse on Sundays, should the temperature of
the air render such removal necessary. The great objection to the suggestion is the impossibility
of effective supervision.
Drainage Work.—The drainage systems of 227 houses were wholly or partially reconstructed
during the year, as compared with 287 in 1910, 554 in 1909, and 605 in 1908. In
addition, the drains of 50 houses were made water-tight by means of the patent process. The
drains of 64 other houses were tested for various reasons and found to be sound. In 1909, 97
drains were found on first test to be water-tight.
Queen's Park Estate.—The reconstruction of the combined drainage systems on this
Estate, commenced in 1900, has now been completed.
In the course of the work certain short lengths of combined drains (main drains close to the
sewer connections) were found to be under large masses of concrete. Such short lengths were
not disturbed, but the right to require their reconstruction, if found later to be necessary, was
insisted on. During the past year rats were found to have made their way from certain of those
old drains, which were then reconstructed. Unused house connections were found on the
main drains.
At 8 houses settlements in the back additions made underpinning necessary, such work
involving disturbance and partial reconstruction of the drains. At 14 houses damp-proof courses
were put in the main walls to remedy dampness. Thirty-three (33) houses were inspected after
the occurrence of infectious disease, and the drains chemically tested after cases of diphtheria
and enteric fever. All drains so tested were found to be sound.
Deposit of Drainage Plans, &c.—Last year 348 sets of plans and notices were received, as
compared with 303 in the previous year, involving the dispatch of 708 letters (674 in 1910).
Three summonses were issued during the year for non-compliance with the by-laws dealing with
this matter, as compared with 1 in 1910 and 11 in 1908.
Combined Drainage.—Four systems examined last year were found to be defective and
were reconstructed by the Council, viz. :—
49, 51 and 53, Queen's Road. 9 and 11, Kildare Gardens.
17, 18 and 19, Warwick Crescent. 55 and 57, Harrow Road.
A new system of combined drainage was sanctioned (by Order under Sec. 74 of the
Metropolis Management Act, 1855), at—
40 and 41, Market Street.
The decision given in the case of Douse Property and Investment Company, Ltd., v. Grice
(79 J.P., 395) is likely to have some influence on future cases dealing with combined drainage.
Practically the decision amounts to this : that if it can be proved that a combined system of
drainage was approved by, or constructed with the knowledge of, a responsible officer of the local
authority, acting within the powers conferred upon him by law or the local authority, that system
of drainage is a "drain," and not a "sewer." Hitherto it had been necessary to prove the making
of an Order either by the Commissioners of Sewers or the local authority before a combined
system could be held to be a " drain."