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101
In August a temporary military encampment was formed in the
park, when Colonel Ford, Principal Medical Officer (Sanitation), complained
strongly of the insanitary condition of the bathing lake, and the
London County Council was communicated with on the matter. The
use of the lake for bathing purposes by the soldiers was prohibited by the
Army Medical Authorities, the water being totally unfit for such purpose.
The lake was closed to the public for emptying and cleansing, but
the Public Health and Housing Committee were of opinion the special
attention of the London County Council should be directed to the matter
with a view to securing more frequent cleansing and flushing of the lake
in the future, as but for the accident of the military encampment it was
improbable that any cleansing would have been effected on this occasion,
notwithstanding the many thousands of people, in all conditions, who use
the lake during the summer months.
The lake was cleaned out in the spring of 1911, and the fact that a
further complete cleansing became indispensable in September showed
how utterly inadequate is the triennial cleansing of the lake hitherto
carried out by the London County Council.
In September the Public Health and Housing Committee recommended
the Council
" That representations be made to the London County Council
on the subject, again urging that the bathing lake in "Victoria Park
should be completely cleansed not less than once a year, and that
provision should be made for more adequate flushing during the
summer months; and that the representatives of the Borough on
the London County Council be asked to support such representations."
Representation to the London County Council as to
Supervision of Persons using Lake.
In September, as stated above, the Council directed representations
to be made to the London County Council with reference to the foul
condition in which the water in the Victoria Park bathing lake had been
allowed to remain during the summer, and to which special attention
had been directed owing to complaints by the Army Medical Authorities
in connection with the temporary military encampment formed in the
park. It was again urged that the lake should be thoroughly cleansed
at least once a year, instead of triennially, and arrangements made for
more adequate flushing during the summer.