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11 2
SMOKE ABATEMENT.
During 1907 there have been made 580 special observations
and enquiries in connection with smoke abatement throughout
the Borough, as compared with 560, 600, 540, 720, 679 and
620 during 1906, 1905, 1904, 1903, 1902 and 1901 respectively.
This is an important duty, and one that a Sanitary
Authority is right in carrying out rigorously.
During 1907, 64 smoke notices have been served and the
nuisances abated. In four cases it was necessary to proceed to
summonses, and the magistrate inflicted a penalty of £2 and
2s. costs against the Manager of the Lion Brewery Company, of
Belvedere Road, and a penalty of 4 and 12s. costs against the
Manager of the Bon Marche Company, Brixton.
The smoke observations were made during the year throughout
the Borough, special attention being paid to the chimneys of
firms whose premises are situated in Belvedere and Commercial
Roads and along the Albert Embankment (Potteries of Messrs.
Doulton and Stiff). In connection with the last named (the
Potteries) there is a total of 37 shafts, one or all of which may
become a nuisance at any time by sending forth black smoke.
It is satisfactory to be able to report that during 1907 there have
been practically no nuisances observed in connection with these
37 shafts—a fact explainable inter alia by the care taken by the
two firms (Messrs. Doulton and Stiff) in employing private smoke
inspectors of their own to observe hourly the chimney shafts,
and by the system of a bonus distribution once or twice a year
to those stokers against whom there are no complaints of
neglect.