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59
Removal of house refuse.
Only a few references are made in the annual reports of medical officers of health to the
collection of house refuse. Dr. T. Orme Dudfield states that in Kensington a call is made for
this purpose once a week. In Islington, where the same course is adopted, Mr. Harris reports
that the number of applications by householders for the removal of their house refuse was only
157 in 1891, showing that the wants of the householders had been well anticipated by this
system. Again, in Hackney, the number of applications was only 158. Dr. Caldwell Smith
reports that in the eastern district of the Borough of Wandsworth there is a weekly collection,
but, at the discretion of the surveyor, certain premises, including flats, are cleared two or three
times a week. The same course is adopted in the western district, the more frequent collection
being from flats and public institutions. Referring to the rapid erection of residential flats in
the borough, especially in Clapham, Balham and Putney, he says that the removal of dust from
them is a question often of serious and increasing difficulty. In many no adequate provision
has been made for the storage of dust for one week. In some, shoots had been constructed, but
they were soon found to be a source of serious nuisance, and other means had to be adopted, and
nothing short of daily removal will remove the nuisance. Dr. Davies reports favourably of the
dust collection in Woolwich parish by the borough council. In Plumstead and Eltham the
work is done by two contractors. With regard to Plumstead, he states that "the collection
of the dust continues to be slovenly; the carts are not adapted for this work, and are not
sufficiently covered ; spilling of contents is of frequent occurrence."
One of the resolutions adopted at the conference of London sanitary authorities, which
was held at the County Hall in 1900, was that, in the opinion of the conference, house refuse
should be removed daily when practicable. In May, 1902, the Public Health Committee proposed
to the County Council that the Council's by-law requiring the removal at least once a
week should be amended so as to require the removal to be effected at least twice a week. The
Council having adopted this recommendation, a draft by-law amended in this way was communicated
to the several sanitary authorities for their observations.
Disposal of refuse.
Dr. Reginald Dudfield states that in Paddington, since the closure of the wharf, No. 20,
North Wharf-road, there have been no complaints of nuisance from any of the wharves. The
old Paddington Act has been repealed, and accumulations on the wharves can now only be dealt
with under section 16 (2) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. Dr. T. Orme Dudfield states
that a part of the refuse of Kensington, from the northern part, is conveyed out of London on the
Grand Junction Canal, the refuse from the southern district being taken down the Thames. He
writes that, "The time when the refuse will be cremated at the council's land at Wood-lane,
Hammersmith, would appear to be at hand." Dr. Sykes states that the refuse of St. Pancras is
deposited in the destructor yard in Georgiana-street, and in the yards or wharves of the railway
companies, but it does not remain there more than 24 hours, and is not manipulated.
Dr. Priestley describes the dust wharves in Lambeth, which are as follows—
Three dust depots in Commercial-road belonging to three sanitary authorities —(1) Lett's
Wharf (City of London), (2) Shot Tower Wharf (City of Westminster), (3) Phoenix Wharf
(Borough of Finsbury). In Belvedere-road are (1) the wharf depot (Borough of Lambeth), (2)
Gabriel's Wharf (private contractor), and (3) Canterbury Wharf (private contractor dealing
with refuse from the Borough of Holborn). On the Albert-embankment is Cookson's Wharf, and
near to, in Tin worth-street, Cookson's Yard (private contractor dealing with refuse from the
Borough of Holborn), and also in Tinworth-street, Clarkson's Yard (private contractor dealing
with part of the refuse of the Borough of Lambeth), and Boyce's Yard (private contractor dealing
with manure and road or slop sweepings). A siding at Herne-hill Station is used as a temporary
manure depot by the Chatham and South Eastern Railway Company in connection with
the removal of offensive matter from various parts of London. A siding at Tulse-hill Station
is used by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway for loading house refuse, etc. At
times offensive matters are left for a longer time than is necessary or desirable, and
nuisances thus arose in 1891 in connection with the depots belonging to the City Corporation, the
City of Westminster and the Finsbury Borough Council. Summonses were taken out but the
nuisances were abated, and no further action was necessary. No nuisance has been experienced
since. Nuisance was complained of in connection with Canterbury Wharf, Belvedere-road, and in
consequence the shoots were ordered to be covered with canvas to prevent dust, paper, etc., flying
about. Boyce's Yard, Tinworth-street, was complained of on several occasions. Nuisance also
occurred at stables in Hackford-road at the time of removal of manure, and at the Herne-hill
siding of the Chatham and South Eastern Railway. Destructors have been erected in connection
with Lett's Wharf, Shot Tower Wharf, Phoenix Wharf, and Clarkson's Wharf.
In a special report dated the 15th July, 1901, Dr. Priestley describes the Horsfall destructor
erected by the late Strand District Board of Works at Shot Tower Wharf, Commercial-road,
Lambeth. He states that his observations, which commenced in November, 1900, satisfied him
that the destructor caused nuisance, and alterations in the destructor were made, and in a further
report, dated the 20th February, 1902, he states that he is in a position to certify that "the
destructor, as amended and improved, is capable of carrying out the work required of it without
nuisance to the surrounding neighbourhood, if properly attended to."
The refuse of Wandsworth, Dr. Caldwell Smith reports, is collected by a contractor, and in
Putney by the employees of the council, and is deposited into barges at the parish yards in
Wandsworth and Putney, and taken down the river to some brickfields in Kent. The refuse from
Clapham, Balham, Streatham and Tooting is burnt at the council's destructor at Tooting.