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197
I am, however, directed to communicate with all the Metropolitan
Borough Councils, and to express the hope that each of them
will take all possible steps with a view to the suppreisson of the
nuisance.
I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
Laurence Gomme,
Clerk to the Council.
The Town Clerk of the
Metropolitan Borough of Poplar.
In Poplar all practicable steps have been taken to deal with smoke
nuisance, and apart from the service of statutory notices and the taking
of legal proceedings, which have been carried out when necessary, communications
addressed to firms have resulted in adoption of more effective
furnaces and appliances for prevention of smoke in various instances.
Difficulties have arisen in dealing under the Public Health Act,
1875, with nuisance from smoke in the Borough arising outside the
County boundaries, by reason of the fact that actual nuisance must be
proved, whereas in London, under the Public Health (London) Act,
1891, the fact of the emission of black smoke is, in itself, an offence. We
are of opinion that in any future legislation on the subject, this provision
of the Public Health (London) Act should be made applicable to nuisance
in London arising from smoke from outside.
The Committee recommended the Council that a communication to
the effect stated be addressed to the London County Council, and the
Local Government Board.
Coal Smoke Abatement Society—Annual Report.
Extract from the Annual Report (Fifteenth) of the Coal Smoke
Abatement Society, for the year 1914.
In a few instances, however, the most lamentable slackness is
still apparent in the administration of the law by local authorities.
These are generally outside the area controlled by the London County
Council, and there can be no doubt that the winter gloom in the
Metropolis is greatly accentuated by dense clouds of smoke blown
in from such industrial districts as West Ham and Dartford.
"That these nuisances can be prevented is borne out by what
has recently occurred in West Ham. The Society pointed out to
the London County Council that many of the offending premises
were in close proximity to the county boundary, and expressed the
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