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one of the boilers was a very old one, having been erected in the year 1894. I
saw the Manager and wrote to the Company respecting the matter, and. after
further coi'respondence, the Company agreed to have a new boiler provided in the
place of this old one.
MORE SUNSHINE FOR LONDON.
Further Steps for the Abatement of Smoke Nuisances.
The Mayor (Councillor Walter Hazell, J.P.), was very anxious that further
steps should be taken for the abatement of smoke nuisances, and consulted me
respecting the matter. I prepared a report, which included the following:—
Until about twenty years ago the smoke nuisance in London had been
increasing, so that the amount of winter sunshine had been diminishing and fogs
had been increasing both in density and frequency. During the past twenty
years, however, there has fortunately been much improvement. In the five years
from 1885 to 1890 the mean number of hours of sunshine in the winter months
was only 57, while in the five years 1905 to 1910 it averaged 103 hours, an
increase of more than 80 per cent. In the five years from 1885 to 1890 the days
of fog in the winter months averaged 31; in the last five years they averaged 17,
or a reduction of more than 45 per cent. Many of us have known the time when
black fog has lasted sometimes as long as a week continuously.
Although much has been effected there is still much, room for improvement.
Smoke abatement not only means more sunshine and less fog, but it also
means improved health and well-being, a purer atmosphere and increasing
cleanliness of the exteriors and interiors not only of our buildings but also of our
persons. Much less damage would be done to our buildings and much less money
would have to be spent in cleansing and decorating them, and much less soap
would be required.
Observations were made at three stations in London and at one at Sutton,
Surrey, of the amount of coal smoke deposit during the twelve months, June 13th,
1910, to June 13th, 1911, and it was found that in the City of London there was
a deposit of as much as 650 tons per square mile. At Sutton, in Surrey, it was
less than one-third this amount.
A great improvement has not only been effected in the abatement of smoke
nuisances in connection with factories and business premises but much less smoke
is also produced in residential buildings which is chiefly due to the increasing use
for heating and cooking of gas and electricity and solid smokeless fuel such as
anthracite, coke, etc. For instance, the gas stoves, fires and other heating and