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196
31 intimations and 31 statutory notices were served.
No summons was applied for.
London County Council and Suppression of Smoke Nuisance.
The following was submitted to the Public Health and Housing
Committee:—
London County Council,
County Hall, Spring Gardens, S.W.
8th April, 1914.
Sir,
Smoke Nuisance.
The Council has recently had under consideration, the question
of taking further steps with a view to mitigating the evils of smoke
nuisance.
During the year, 1913, particulars of 204 cases of smoke nuisance,
reported by the Council's officers, were forwarded to the sanitary
authorities and the Council assumes that the smoke nuisance is also
reported by the Officers of these authorities.
The Council observes, however, from the particulars which have
been furnished representing the total work of the Metropolitan
Borough Councils in the suppression of smoke nuisance, that the
number of statutory notices served upon offenders was 174 and that
legal proceedings were instituted in only seven cases.
As the result of special observations made recently, a large
number of cases of nuisance were reported and particulars of these
have been forwarded to the sanitary authorities.
The Council has done its utmost in the past to deal effectivey
with the question, and it will be within general recollection that in
the session of Parliament of 1910 the Council sought to extend the
provisions of the law as to smoke nuisance, the principal amendment
suggested being the deletion of the word "black" from section
24(b) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The Council's
efforts for the amendment of the law were not wholly successful,
but it is possible that the nuisance as a whole might be reduced if
the existing law on the subject, although limited in operation, were
more strictly enforced.
The question of the suppression of smoke nuisance is a matter
of paramount importance as affecting the health and general wellbeing
of the community, and the Council gladly recognises that some
of the Metropolitan Borough Councils realise this and take active
measures to combat the evil.