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131
Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
300 accumulations of manure were removed after service of
notice. This nuisance is of frequent occurrence and is the cause
of numerous complaints of residents in the vicinity of stables.
There are approximately about 7,000 horses stabled in the
Borough, 2,400 of which are owned by the omnibus companies.
The quantity of manure produced by these would amount to nearly
95 tons per day, or 34,216 tons per annum.
It has been estimated that nearly two thirds of the manure is
produced in the stables and one third is deposited in the streets, so
that from the horses stabled in the Borough alone, 63 tons is stored
at stable yards and 31 tons is deposited on the public highways.
If, as the omnibus companies intend, motor omnibuses take the
place of horsed ones there is bound to be a considerable decrease
in the amount of manure produced.
1,001 cisterns supplying drinking water were cleansed, covered
or repaired, compared with 849 in 1903. This increase is also due
to the increase in the number of house-to-house inspections.
The circular letter which was issued by the Council in December,
1903, with respect to cleansing of cisterns is still being distributed
among owners of property.
155 notices were served where animals were kept so as to be
a nuisance. 19 of these were in Clapham, three in Putney, 35 in
Streatham, 10 in Tooting, and 88 in Wandsworth. The animals
chiefly concerned were fowls, and in many instances personal
inspection convinced me that these nuisances were of a serious
nature. In some cases the greater portions of the yards were
occupied by the fowl runs, and in one case it was necessary to take
proceedings for keeping the fowls so as to be a nuisance. An order
was made by the Magistrate for the abatement of the nuisance, but
as this was not complied with, another summons was taken out for
the contravention of such order, and a fine of 20s. and costs was
inflicted. The result of this was that the occupier left the premises.
33 smoke nuisances were reported during the year, four from
Clapham, two from Putney, nine from Streatham, one from Tooting,
and 17 from Wandsworth.