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106
Black Smoke Nuisances.
Our operations in regard to these nuisances have not been attended
throughout the year with the greatest success. Many complaints have
been received from various sources of black smoke issuing from shafts in
the Borough, especially from those in connection with the City of London
Electric Lighting Station and the Borough of Southwark Electric Lighting
Station.
At the request of the Public Health Committee two Sanitary Inspectors
were engaged for nearly a month in watching the shafts on the river
bank, and every case of smoking was tabulated in the report. The following
portion of the report gives the substance of what was done:—
"To the Chairman and Members of the Public Health Committee.
Gentlemen,
Inspectors Nicholson and Fisher have been engaged, from the
13th of April to the 12th of May, 1909 (holidays excepted) for a period
of 22 days, watching for black smoke issuing from the chimney-shafts
near the river bank.
Sections 23 and 24 of the Public Health (London) Act relate to
smoke. Sub-section (b) of Section 24 states that any chimney (not
being a chimney of a private dwelling house) sending forth black
smoke in such quantity as to be a nuisance shall be a nuisance liable
to the penalty contained in SectioD 23, viz., a sum not exceeding five
pounds, and on a second conviction to a fine of ten pounds, and on
each subsequent conviction to a fine double the amount of the fine
imposed on the last preceding conviction.
The customary definition of a nuisance is that black smoke must
be seen to issue from a shaft for a continuous period of five minutes,
or if in shorter peri'ods, then for ten minutes in the hour. In this
report no notice has been taken of black smoke issuing for a less
period than one minute, although in the case of the shaft of the
Thames Grain Drying Wharf, which is a great offender for thirty or
forty seconds at a time, these short periods amount to a good deal in
the day.
The observations extended usually from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each
day.
The City of London Electric Lighting Station will be seen to
have had a good deal of smoke at irregular periods sent out of each