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Report of the Medical Officer of Health. 103
With reference to the smell from the works themselves, action
was taken by the London County Council in 1888, 1893, 1898, and in
each case convictions were obtained, while since 1899 this Council has
twice instituted proceedings, first in 1902 when the Magistrate decided
that although he was satisfied that the best available means were used
for the purpose of destroying the effluvia, yet was of opinion that
owing to the want of proper care such means had not been taken
advantage of on several occasions, and made an order for the payment
of £10 10s. costs, but did not impose a fine on the defendants.
The firm were again summoned in J une, 1903, for contravention of
the London County Council By-laws as to offensive trades, and after
several adjournments the case was heard on the 7th October, when the
Magistrate convicted the defendants on one summons only, and
inflicted a penalty of £5 and £5 5s. costs. Against this conviction
the defendants appealed to Quarter Sessions, and in January, 1904,
the appeal was heard and sustained.
During the past year the premises have been inspected by the
Sanitary Inspector 90 times, and by myself eight times. My
inspections have always been made without notice and on no occasion
have I been able to detect any contravention of the By-laws, although
several times the effluvia from the works were smelt in the adjoining
streets.
Three notices were served by the Sanitary Inspector in 1902 and
1903, for contravention of By-laws (London County Council) but as
already stated in one case only the costs were ordered to be paid, in
the other two the cases were lost on appeal.
Complaints with reference to the escape of effluvia from the
works themselves have since September, 1903, been few, and nearly
all the complaints received referred to smells from the sewers in the
neighbourhood.
Previous to September, 1903, all the drainage and waste products
from the factory were discharged after a certain amount of subsidence
into the River Wandle. Notice was served by the Borough Council
on Messrs. Wickens, Pease & Co, to construct proper drainage, and
soon after this was done complaints were received.
The effluent from these works consists of the liquid from the
bone boiling pans, the liquid from the presses in the tallow melting