London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Poplar 1936
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Poplar, Metropolitan Borough]
This page requires JavaScript
24
Section C.
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BOROUGH.
Public Cleansing Services.
Included under this heading is the collection, removal and disposal
of household and trade refuse; street cleansing; gully and cesspool
emptying, and snow removal.
I am indebted to Mr. Rees J. Williams, A.M.Inst.C.E., the Borough
Engineer and Surveyor, for the following particulars:—
House Refuse.
A bi-weekly collection service is in operation, bins being placed on
the kerb by the householder. The container system has been adopted
in connection with flats and institutions.
Number of petrol vehicles engaged in the work 22
Number of horse-drawn vans engaged in the work I
Number of men engaged in the work 80
Trade Refuse.
This is collected when requested.
Street Cleansing.
Important roads are swept daily and nightly; other roads daily by
beat system. In certain roads the beats are covered several times per
day.
A new type of orderly truck of lighter construction, fitted with
pneumatic tyred wheels and two portable bins, has been introduced to
replace the wooden trucks, which were heavy, cumbersome and noisy.
Street Watering.
Four motor street watering tanks supplemented by 6 horse-drawn
vans constitute the street watering service.