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72
The Medical Officer of Health is indebted to Captain Cable, the City
Cleansing Surveyor, for the figures quoted above, and for the following
note. He writes :—
"During the early part of the year, various systems of refuse collection
were further considered, but in June, 1931, the Highways Committee
decided that the financial situation rendered it quite impracticable
for the Council to undertake the expenditure of a substantial sum for
improving the cleansing service of the City, and as the adoption of any
of the systems would involve a heavy cost, the Council could not be
recommended to proceed with them at the time. The Committee
therefore decided to investigate in order to see what steps could be taken
to improve the present cleansing service without heavy expenditure.
It was considered advisable, however, to endeavour to come to some
definite conclusion as to which of the systems tried out would be most
suitable for Westminster, in order that all necessary preparations could
be made for the introduction of the system decided upon as soon as the
financial situation made this possible.
"In October, 1931, the Council considered the report of the Highways
Committee on various systems, and approved the adoption of a dustlessloading
system of refuse collection involving the use of prescribed
ashbins as soon as the financial position permits, but decided to defer
selection of the precise make of dustless loading vehicle to be used
until the replacement of the existing vehicles could be proceeded with.
"With regard to disposal, schemes are being considered for the
eventual disposal of the whole of the refuse from Grosvenor Dock and
it was decided to dismantle the Refuse Salvage Plant as soon as practicable,
as the considerable decrease in revenue from the sale of salved materials
no longer justified its retention."
Incinerator at a Block of Flats.—Observations kept during the year
failed to discover any nuisance from the combined refuse shoot and
incinerator. If well maintained, there is no doubt that this method
disposes effectively of a considerable amount of domestic refuse and is
in itself an entirely sanitary method.
Sanitary Inspection of the Area.
The following table shows in detail matters relating to the
general sanitary condition of the City. The work of the district
sanitary inspectors is performed under several main headings : inspection
of nuisances and other insanitary conditions, whether on complaint or
otherwise; supervision of all new sanitary fittings and drainage in old
and new buildings, which includes reporting on plans of proposed sanitary