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38
SEWER EMANATIONS.
Complaints of odours arising from the sewers were comparatively
few during the year and the atmospheric conditions generally
were unfavourable to offensive emanations from sewers; but I
would impress upon the Council the very high importance, especially
during the summer months, of making a generous provision for
flushing the sewers repeatedly and systematically, of a frequent
cleansing of the street gulleys, and of sufficient watering of the
streets. All such work not only adds to the personal comfort of
parishioners, but, by reducing summer diarrhoea, it lessens the infantile
mortality of the District.
REMOVAL OP HOUSE REFUSE.
The scavenging of London at the pres nt time shows a great
improvement upon that of former years. The by-laws of the
Council require the removal of the house refuse from all premises
not less frequently than once a week, and a call is made at each
house with this object. This is a great advance on the old method
of the dustcart calling only at houses in which the need for collection
is manifested by the exhibition of a D-card or on request of the householder.
The efficiency with which the work is carried out, however,
in different districts depends, of course, upon the willingness of the
sanitary authority to provide a sufficient administration for this
purpose, and upon the co-operation of householders. The Council's
by-law requires that all new receptacles for house refuse shall be of
the movable variety, and facilities for successful scavenging would be
greatly increased if all householders would provide themselves with
movable receptacles in substitution of the old fixed receptacles, which
hold too much refuse, and which cannot be emptied with ease and
completeness.
WATER SUPPLY.
The character of the seasons was on the whole favourable to the
operations of the water companies, and the public supply (The new
River Company) was satisfactory, both in quality and quantity.
During the year I made repeated analysis of the water supplied to the
District and in every case it conformed to a high standard of purit