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43
cooking appliances supplied by the principal London gas companies now exceed
1,300,000, and must contribute in no small measure to the cleansing of the
atmosphere.
Moreover, these various methods of smoke abatement not only lead to greater
cleanliness and improved health, but are also generally conducive to greater convenience
and the saving of labour, and are directly or indirectly less expensive
than smoke producing furnaces and fires.
In the Report I also mentioned that the Council might set a good example in
smoke abatement by having gas fires in the Mayor's Parlour and the Public
Health Department.
The Public Health Committee agreed that the matter was one which should
be brought to the notice of the ratepayers, and the Council sanctioned the distribution
of a pamphlet issued by the Coal Smoke Abatement Society entitled
"More Sunshine for London;" the pamphlet being accompanied by a letter from
the Mayor emphasising the importance of the matter and urging the desirability of
cultivating a public spirit in reducing the amount of coal smoke, and so to improve
the condition of the whole of the people of London. About 10,500 of these
pamphlets were so sent out.
For further details of Sanitary Work and Legal Proceedings see Tables
V., VI., VII., VIII., IX. and X.
METEOROLOGY OF LONDON, 1912.
The mean temperature of the year was 51.0, and was 0Q.9 above the average
for the preceding 65 years as deduced from observations at Greenwich, under the
superintendence of the Astronomer lioyal.
The rainfall was 24.87 inches, and was 0.75 inches above the average.
The daily mean duration of bright sunshine was 3.74 hours, and was 0.43 hours
below the average of the preceeding 15 years. It was 31 per cent. of the total
possible sunshine.
Further details are given in Table XI. of the Appendix