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103
ADMINISTRATIVE WORK
The total time during which "black smoke" was observed last year was 23 minutes, as
compared with 32 minutes in 1912 and 22 minutes in 1911. Other shades of smoke were
observed during 501/6 hours, as compared with 471/3, 1135/8, and 38¼, in 1912, 1911, and 1910.
1913.
"Black Smoke" 23 minutes
"Smoke" 501/6 hours.
No Smoke 351/5 hours.
Eleven complaints of smoke, not necessarily "black smoke," were received during the year,
with reference to factories (6), fried fish shops (3), plumbers (1), and traction engine (1).

Canals, Wharves.—These are systematically inspected at least once a week. During
the past year no complaints were received with reference to either the canals or the businesses
carried on at the wharves on the basin.
At the beginning of June last year complaint was received with reference to the use of the
"Flora" Wharf, Harrow Road, for the loading of barges with offensive refuse and to the delay
made in dispatching the loaded boats. In consequence of the representations made to the firm
using the wharf, its use for refuse was abandoned.
The customary cleansing of the canal basin was carried out at Easter, when 388 tons of
mud and refuse were removed, that amount being 112 tons less than the amount removed in
1912. New concrete was laid down over some 898 square yards of the canal bottom.
Canal Boats.—The annual report of the Examining Officer was laid before the Council
in February last and subsequently forwarded to the Local Government Board. The inspection
of boats numbered 205, and the breaches discovered, 63, At close of 1912 163 boats were on
the Register, of which only 60 were known to be working in and out of the basin. During the
past year 3 new boats were registered, and 2 re-registered owing to change of owners. The
boats on the Register at the close of the year numbered 168, but only 55 can be traced. Up
to the end of last year no motor boats had been placed on the Paddington Register, but such
boats were working in and out of the basin.
There were 2 cases of erysipelas among the boat population last year, both patients (males,
œtant 4 and 40) being removed to the Paddington Infirmary. The deaths known to have
occurred numbered 2, the deceased persons being females, one an infant of 9 months dying of
bronchitis, and the other, a child of 2 years, dying of whooping cough. Of the 167 children
found to be living on the boats, 112 were of school ages.