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The dust depot of the Vestry of Clerkenwell, Commercial-road—Lambeth parish.—This is a
wharf situated on the south bank of the river Thames. The yard is well paved and drained. The
refuse is sorted by hand labour ; twelve women, six men and two boys were employed in this process at
the time the wharf was visited, the work being carried on under a roofed-in shed. It is stated by the
superintendent that the refuse brought to the wharf is sorted, loaded into barges, and removed within
twenty-four hours of its arrival except when neap tides occur or when the departure of the barges
is interrupted by fog or frost. There is a small furnace at this wharf in which the paper and
lighter portions of the refuse are burnt. Adequate water-closet accommodation for the sexes is provided
for the workers at the wharf, but there is no lavatory and no meal room.
The dust wharf of the Vestry of St. Luke, Macclesfield-street, City-road—St. Luke's parish.—
This is a wharf on the City basin of the Regent's Canal. The yard is paved and drained. It is stated
that house refuse is brought here and kept for a period of two to three days, and at times for longer
periods, in order that it may be sorted and sifted before removal by barge to Ware and Ponder's End.
Men and women are engaged in the work of sorting, which is carried on in the open yard. Separate
water-closet accommodation for the sexes is provided, but no lavatory nor room for meals, as all the
workers are said to live near and go home during meal hours. On the day of inspection a large heap of
breeze and hard core was noticed on the wharf; it was stated that this had been there several days.
No sorting was going on.
Copenhagen wharf, Limehouse-cut, Limehouse.—A badly-paved and drained wharf, which on the
day of inspection was found to be in a dirty condition owing to accumulation of various kinds of refuse.
The house refuse brought to this yard is hand sorted and sifted by women, men and boys. It is stated
that four gangs are generally engaged on the work (a gang includes two women, one man and a boy),
and that the refuse is removed within twenty-four hours of its arrival at the wharf. No large accumulation
was observed except a heap of " hard core," which was said to have been there for a " considerable
period." The paper and lighter material derived from the house refuse is burnt in a heap on the open
wharf, and there was much smoke from this when the wharf was visited.
Separate sanitary conveniences for the two sexes are provided. There is no lavatory, but there is
a small building which can be used by the workers as a meal room, though on the day of inspection
several men and women were sitting around a fire in the yard eating their mid-day meal.
Abbott's-yard, Limehouse-cut, Limehouse.—This yard was in a dirty condition when visited,
owing to the accumulation of various kinds of refuse. It appears to be unpaved. Hand-sorting of
household refuse is carried on by some eight women, four or five men and a few boys. It is said that
the refuse carted to this wharf is sorted and removed within twenty-four hours, and this was confirmed
by the small amount of house refuse noticed in the yard. There was, however, a heap of " hard core,"
which Mr. Abbott, junior, stated was the product of several days' work.
There is a small furnace here, in which is burnt the paper and lighter material separated from
the house refuse. Water-closet accommodation for the two sexes is provided, but there is no lavatory
nor room for meals. It is stated that all the hands live in houses in close proximity to the yard and go
home during meal-time, and that it has not therefore been found necessary to provide such
accommodation.
Dust depot and siding of the Mile-end Old-town Vestry—Mile-end Old-town.—This is situated on
the eastern bank of Regent's Canal, and has also a siding in connection with the Great Eastern Railway.
For the purpose of sorting the refuse the Vestry employ six to eight gangs of women, men and boys.
The work is done by hand, and is carried on under a roofed shed. It is said that the house dust
brought here is sorted and loaded into trucks within twenty-four hours of its arrival, and that it is never
allowed to accumulate on the wharf. During that period of the year when the amount of house refuse is
very large some is loaded direct into barges on the canal without previous sorting. On the day of
inspection no accumulation was observed. The yard has recently been drained, but is unpaved. There
is a four-cell furnace here in which soft core is burnt.
The women employed at, this yard are provided with a room containing a cooking stove, and with
lavatory and water-closet accommodation. There is no water-closet for the men.
Prior's wharf, Orchard-street, Poplar.—This wharf is situated on Bow-creek. The yard on the
day when wharf was visited was found to be unpaved and was in a dirty condition. Sorting and sifting
of house refuse by hand labour is carried on. Mr. Prior, jun., states that usually three or four gangs of
women, men, and boys are employed, and that a room with lavatory and water-closet accommodation
is provided for the workers in a disused house on the wharf, but that all hands go home during
msal hours. Large heaps of hard core and breeze, which appeared to be the accumulation of several
days' work, were noticed on the wharf.
The dust wharf of the St. Olove's District Board, Shad Thames—St. Olave's.—The yard, which
belongs to the District Board, is well paved and drained. The house refuse collected by the sanitary
authority is tipped on the wharf. Here the refuse is dealt with by a contractor prior to its removal
by barge. The contractor who carries on this business had in his employ, at the date of inspection,
some five women and six men for the purpose; these work under a roofed shed. There is a furnace in
which the soft core is burnt. It is stated that no refuse is retained on the wharf for a longer period
than twenty-four hours, except hard core, which is not of an offensive nature.
Adequate water-closet accommodation for the workers was to be provided. There was no room
for meals and no lavatory.
(3.) The following is a list of the districts, the house refuse of which is taken wholly or in part to
" shoots " on vacant pieces of ground situated within the county—
Lewisham
Plumstead
Rotherhithe
Charlton
Lee and Kidbrooke
Lee District Board
of Works.
The refuse of the parishes of Streatham and Tooting in the Wandsworth district, and of Eltham
in the Lee district, as well as some of the refuse of Hackney and Bethnal-green is said to be taken to
shoots outside the county.