View report page

52
trap will prevent such fluids reaching the sewer, as they may be turned
into vapour in the drain.
The attention of the Works and Highways Committees was called to
this matter, and a letter was also addressed to the London County
Council, who have power under Section 10 of the General Powers Act,
1894, to make an order prohibiting the discharge of dangerous substances
into sewers. Such an order was made on 20th December, 1898.
On 6th December, 1904, the County Council issued a copy of the order
to a large number of persons licensed under the Petroleum Acts,
or carrying on businesses such as may produce residues dangerous if
discharged into sewers, among them being persons and companies who
keep motor garages for trading purposes; 43 of the addresses are in
this City. A notice to hair-dressers was issued in 1897, at which
time several accidents occurred, and it was thought that as a result
thereof the practice of applying petroleum spirit to the hair had been
discontinued. The County Council have added an additional Inspector
to carry out the duties under the Petroleum, &c., Acts.
Nuisance from Sewer Ventilators.—Complaints having been made of
offensive and noxious effluvia emanating from the sewer ventilators in
the City, a presentment was made to the Highways Committee, who
replied that careful attention had been paid to every case of reported
nuisance from sewer ventilators, and where the sewer ventilators were
in connection with the Council's sewers, by a contrivance of a canvas
screen fixed in the sewers at a small cost, the Assistant City Engineer
had successfully met the complaints. Where the complaints have
arisen from sewer ventilators under the control of the London County
Council, the attention of that body had been called. A very bad case,
which I mentioned in my report for (1903, p. 34), in which there
appeared to be a connection between the offensive emanations and
several cases of infectious disease in the immediate neighbourhood.
The nuisance was apparently abated, but it recurred in 1904, and
eventually in December the St. James and Pall Mall Electric Light
Company, of Carnaby Street, was summoned for permitting water
heated to 170° F. to flow into the public sewer. The facts were not
disputed, and it was stated that the Company had arranged to prevent
any recurrence of the trouble. There were in all twenty summonses.
The Magistrate, Mr. Denman, imposed fines amounting to £5 19s., with
20 guineas costs.
Houses Infested with Vermin.—Intimation notices have been served
in respect of 10 premises in which there were rooms infested with
vermin. The London County Council General Powers Act of 1904
contains a section giving power to the Sanitary Authority to issue an
order requiring houses so infested to be cleansed; but previously no
difficulty had been experienced in the City in dealing with such
conditions.