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is removed from the stall, the necessity has become evident of placing offensive manure under
restrictions as to the manner of removal. The Public Health Committee had therefore under
consideration during the year the amendment of the by-law relating to the carriage of offensive matter
through the streets. The course indicated is undoubtedly that manure which is offensive should not
be exempted as at present from all the conditions which are required in connection with the removal
of other offensive matter. The following draft by-law was accordingly forwarded to the sanitary
authorities for their observation—
Every person who shall remove or carry, or cause to be removed or carried, by road or
water, in or through London any fæcal or offensive or noxious matter or liquid, whether such
matter or liquid shall be in course of removal or carriage from within or without or through
London, shall use or cause to be used therefor a suitable carriage or vessel, properly
constructed and furnished with a sufficient covering so as to prevent the escape of any matter
or liquid therefrom, and so as to prevent any nuisance arising therefrom.
Such person shall not remove or carry, or cause to be removed or carried, such matter or
liquid by road in or through London, except during the following periods, viz.—
Between 5 o'clock a.m. and 10 o'clock a.m. ; or during the period commencing two
hours before sunset and ending one hour after sunset, in any day during the months of
March, April, May, June, July, August. September, and October.
Between 6 o'clock a.m. and 11 o'clock a.m.; or during the period commencing two
hours before sunset and ending one hour after sunset, in any day during the months of
November, December, January and February.
Such persons shall not remove or carry, or cause to be removed or carried, such matter
or liquid by water in or through London, except during the period commencing at sunrise
and ending at sunset in any day.
This by-law shall not apply to any person removing or carrying manuie consisting only
of horse dung, with a suitable proportion of straw, and shall not apply to any person
removing or carrying in a suitable vessel, as aforesaid, manure consisting of horse dung and
litter other than straw.
The by-law at present in force is as follows—
Every person who shall remove or carry, by road or water, in or through London, any
faecal or offensive or noxious matter or liquid, whether such matter or liquid shall be in
course of removal or carriage from within or without or through London, shall not remove
or carry such matter or liquid in or through London except between the hours of 4 o'clock
and 10 o'clock in the forenoon during the months of March, April, May, June, July, August,
September and October, and except between the hours of 6 o'clock in the forenoon and
12 o'clock at noon during the months of November, December, January, and February.
Such person shall use a suitable carriage or vessel properly constructed and furnished with
a sufficient covering, so as to prevent the escape of any such matter or liquid therefrom, and
so as to prevent any nuisance arising therefrom.
Provided that this by-law shall not apply to the carriage of horse dung manure.
Removal of offensive matter.
Section 33 of the Public Health (London) Act empowers the owners of trade refuse to require
the sanitary authority to remove it, on payment of a reasonable sum for the removal, such sum in case
of disputes to be settled by the order of a petty sessional court. The sanitary authority may not
claim to effect such removal as a right and hence the ability of an authority to undertake the scavenging
of their district of offensive trade refuse, is dependent on agreement with the owners of the refuse.
The question whether the sanitary authority should undertake the work of removal of fish offal has
from time to time engaged the attention of medical officers of health, and was during the year 1899
the subject of report by the medical officer of health of Poplar, who thus reported on the collection of
fish offal by the Woolwich Local Board.
With respect to the Committee's suggestion that the Board should collect the fish offal of the district,
the matter having been referred to the dock and medical officers to make enquiries and to report, I
interviewed the clerk and surveyor to the Woolwich Local Board, which authority collects and destroys,
as trade refuse, its fish offal. In Woolwich the local board supplies, free of cost, galvanized iron
receptacles with airtight lids. There are 140 of these receptacles, 70 of which are collected every day,
and 70 left in their places, some shops having two or more according to their wants. The collection and
distribution of receptacles occupies one half day, and is carried out by means of one trolly drawn by a
horse; two men accompany the trolly, one in charge of the horse, and the other collects and distributes
the receptacles. The lids of the charged receptacles are not removed until the " destructor " is reached,
when the offal is mixed with the horse refuse, to be burnt, on the tipping platforms. The man who
collects and distributes the receptacles is engaged during the afternoon in cleansing and disinfecting the
receptacles previous to their distribution next day. No payment for collection has been made up to the
present, but it is under the consideration of the local board to collect also the butchers' offal, as well as
the fish, and to make a charge at so much per bushel so as to cover expenses.
This subject was also under the consideration of the Vestry of Battersea, and the medical
officer of health of that district reports that a scheme was prepared showing that if the vestry undertook
the collection the net cost, alter the sale of the offal, would be about £164 per annum. The
further consideration of the subject was adjourned sine die. Dr. Kempster states that at present the
removal is effected by several manufacturers of guano and other products, who receive varying sums
from the fishmongers for such removal.
There is no doubt that the method adopted in Woolwich of removing fish offal in suitable
metal receptacles with close-fitting covers, provided by the collector, should be adopted throughout
London ; and the Public Hpalth Committee of the Council had before them the question whether it
was competent for the Council, under their power of making by-laws as the removal of offensive