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Hammersmith.—Complaints as to nuisances from ballast burning in Blythe-road, from brickfields
in Acton parish and from a laundry in King-street, were under consideration. The Kensington
Vestry had obtained the conviction of certain brickmakers in Wood-lane. One of the brickmakers in
this locality had continued to make bricks, but no complaint as to nuisance had been received.
St. Giles.—In consequence of numerous complaints as to nuisance from fried fish shops, all
such premises were inspected by the vestry's principal officers; as a result a number of works were
carried out for their improvement. Proceedings were unsuccessfully instituted in one instance.
Clerkenwell.—Complaint was received from ten ratepayers in Farringdon-road as to nuisance
from the premises of a rag merchant. Proceedings had been instituted by the Holborn District Board
in respect of a similar nuisance at these premises, and the magistrate adjourned the hearing of the case
for three months, as the defendants were about to remove their business. The vestry adjourned the
consideration of the ratepayers' complaint for a like period.
Whitechapel.—Application was successfully made to the magistrate in respect of two premises
on which fish was fried and in respect of one in which fish was cured. Nuisance from telephone
works was the subject of proceedings, which failed.
Poplar.—A return by the inspector of nuisances in manufactories and workshops shows that
nuisances from the following causes were dealt with:—Defective roof of blackhouses of lamp-black
works ; the burning of cork in the open ; vapours from fat-melting plant escaping into the atmosphere;
escape of sulphuretted hydrogen from main shaft of chemical works; vapours from oil pots of printing
ink works escaping into atmosphere; escape of smoke and black from lamp-black works; escape of
oil refuse into roadway; discharge of noxious vapours from cupola shafts below roofs of adjoining
houses; curing fish in wooden smoke holes; escape of noxious gases from tar stills; discharge of
vapours from shafts of metal works below roofs of adjoining houses; escape of nitrous and sulphurous
gases from main shaft of sulphuric acid works; vapours from boiling apparatus of grain and rice
works allowed to escape below the roofs of adjoining houses ; vapours from wash hole of bone boilers
escaping into the atmosphere; escape of noxious vapours from cauldrons of asphalte works.
Roiherhithe.—Nuisances from the dressing of roker skins and the deposit of fish refuse were
dealt with.
Battersea.—Improvements were effected in the deposit and precipitation pit on premises used
for the manufacture of vegetable alkaloids from tea, willow bark and nux vomica bean, and which had
given off offensive effluvia.
Greenwich.—Proceedings were successfully instituted against a fish curer whose business had
caused nuisance.
Complaints as to nuisance.
During the year the Council received 1,345 applications for assistance in securing the removal
of conditions which it was alleged were dangerous to health. Inquiries were made into the merits of
each complaint, and, where necessary, communications were addressed to the sanitary authorities concerned.
In all cases the subject of complaint was kept under observation until a remedy had been
provided. The Council's inspector made 1,441 inspections in connection with nuisances alleged to
exist.
Smoke nuisances.
In some of the reports of the medical officers of health the subject of smoke nuisance is not
mentioned, but other reports refer to 453 cases which were dealt with, proceedings being taken in 4
instances. Reference is made to the appointment of a special inspector for investigating complaints
in the following reports—
Marylebone.—Complaints were attended to in 23 cases.
Islington.—The medical officer of health reports that the special inspector performed his work
with great success; from May to December he made 60 inspections with reference to smoke nuisances.
Hackney.—The inspector made "not less than 290 observations, each lasting on an average 15
to 20 minutes," and 11 notices were served to abate nuisances.
Holborn.—The smoke inspector reported to the medical officer of health that there were 56
furnaces and boilers on the register, two having been added during the first six months of the year.
They are periodically inspected. The number of furnaces and boilers with smoke consumers is 29,
and there are nine kinds of smoke consumers in the district. No notices were served during the year.
Three of the furnaces of Reid's Brewery are being reconstructed with smoke consumers, and a square
chimney is being built to replace a circular one. A complaint was made concerning the smell from
Messrs. Ogden, Smale and Co.'s chimney in Great Saffron-hill; it was found that the shaft was too
low, and after some delay it was arranged that the chimney should be raised.
Poplar.—56 cases of nuisance due to defective apparatus and burning of inferior fuel; these
were all remedied.
Battersea.—Complaint was made on several occasions during the year concerning the dense
black smoke from Messrs. Spiers and Pond's steam laundry, but there was a difficulty in taking
proceedings as they had provided suitable apparatus, if used with care. The medical officer of health
made representations to the firm and to the manager, and the latter was requested to use better coal.
In the following reports mention is merely made of the number of cases attended to: St.George,
Hanover-square.—41 nuisances were dealt with. St. James, Westminster.—3 smoke nuisances abated.
St. Pancras. —3 smoke nuisances suppressed. Clerkenwell.—11 smoke nuisances abated. Whitechapel.—6
smoke nuisances abated. St. George-in-the-East.—18 nuisances remedied. Limehouse.—
7 smoke nuisances abated. Mile-end Old-town.—2 nuisances abated. St. George, Southwark.—3
abatements, 2 summonses. Newington.—6 smoke nuisances abated. St. Olave.—2 smoke nuisances
abated. Bermondsey.—10 notices served for abatement of nuisance. Wandsworth (Clapham).—10
cases came under notice, 5 notices were served and complied with. Camberwell.—70 notices to abate