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155 accumulations of manure were removed, and 45 notices were served for the removal to be
carried out every 48 hours.
The house refuse of "Woolwich parish, Dr. Davies states, is disposed of at the dust
destructor near St. Mary's Church, that of Plumstead is disposed of on the levels at a sufficient
distance from houses, that of Eltham on a brickfield at a considerable distance from any houses,
except two occupied by the contractor and his assistant. He writes, "No complaints were
received as to nuisance from the shoots." Dr. Davies also states that the Plumstead shoot was
well attended to, paper and other organic matter being burnt, and nuisances kept at a minimum.
The completion, he says, of the Plumstead destructor will, however, be a great gain.
In Poplar, the proprietor of a wharf in Bloomfield-street was fined for having a very large
accumulation of refuse on his premises, in contravention of the by-law.
Nuisance from sewers.
The medical officer of health of Kensington states that complaints as to offensive smells
from the Counter's-creek sewer were received during the year, and that certain ameliorative works
were carried out. Complaints were also received concerning nuisance from a sewer in the
Warwick-road between the railway bridge and the south end of Philbeach-gardens, and certain
works were carried out with a view to improvement. The medical officer of health of Hackney
states that on the 27th July, as the result of a heavy fall of rain, a number of houses, chiefly in
Clapton Park and Hackney Wick, were flooded with sewage, and as many as 206 houses were afterwards
cleansed by the sanitary authority. The medical officer of health of Popular states that complaints
were received as to nuisance from sewers in the neighbourhood of the Smeed-road. The
County Council had desired to erect shafts against neighbouring buildings, but had met with
opposition from the owners. The medical officer was satisfied that chemicals were being illegally
discharged into the sewers in Hackney Wick, and he was of opinion that the owners of factories
should afford every assistance to the County Council to erect shafts against buildings. He
reported on this subject in July, and subsequently, during a storm, a disastrous and fatal explosion
took place in the neghbourhood of White Post-lane. The number of houses rendered
temporarily unfit for habitation was 71, and the water gaining access to the underground tanks
of mineral oil works, the oil was washed into the streets and became ignited, leading to damage of
houses and deaths. The medical officer of health of Wandsworth reports that flooding of sewers
after heavy rainfall occurred in a number of streets in Clapham, giving rise, in some cases, to
nuisance of a serious nature. He states that the flooding was due to the fact that the
Heath-road sewer was insufficient to carry off the water during heavy storms. In Wandsworth
parish flooding occurred from the same cause, and in Streatham. The medical
officer of health of Greenwich states that complaints were received as to nuisance from the manholes
and entrances to the main sewers in various parts of the borough, particularly in connection
with a portion of an old and practically disused sewer which runs along a portion of the Greenwichroad
up to the neighbourhood of St. Alphege Church. On each occasion steps have been taken
to at once temporarily remedy the matter. The medical officer further reports that serious nuisance
was caused by the storm overflow of the main sewer which opens into the river near to the entrance
to Deptford-creek. The medical officer of health of Woolwich states that houses in Harden's
Manorway frequently had their drains stopped through irregularity of the level of the sewer. It
was decided that the sewer and its branch should be relaid for a length of 1,050 feet, and this
appears to have provided a remedy.
Nuisance from the Thames and Lea.
The medical officer of health of Woolwich states that repeated complaints of the nuisance
caused by the foul state of the river Thames were received from July to October. "After lasting
several weeks the nuisance was abated." The medical officer of health of Hackney includes in
his report the results of analyses of samples of Lea water made during the summer of 1901, which
he says show the continued and increasing pollution the water is receiving.
Drainage By-laws.
At the end of 1900 the Couucil made by-laws, under section 202 of the Metropolis Local
Management Act of 1855 for regulating the dimensions, form and mode of construction, and the
keeping, cleansing and repairing of the pipes, drains and other means of communicating with
sewers, and the traps and apparatus connected therewith; These by-laws were confirmed by
the Local Government Board in June, 1901.
Housing of the Working Classes Act.
Representation under Part 1.
On the 29th October the Council resolved that an improvement scheme under Part I. of the
Housing of the Working Classes Act should be carried out in an area known as the Providenceplace
area, Poplar, which had been represented by the medical officer of health of the borough.
In a report which the Housing of the Working Classes Committee presented to the Council on
the 22nd October the area was thus described—
The Providence-place area is nearly an acre in extent, and the houses are for the most part twostorey
cottages situated in ill-arranged courts.
Providence-place itself is a narrow court of about ten feet in width, leading from Woolmore-street
to Wright's place, which leads out of Cotton-street. Providence-place contains 21 houses, 17 of which
comprise four rooms each, the remaining four having an extra set of two rooms in a basement. The
houses are old and in bad repair, and the first floor is approached by a staircase leading from the back
room. The ground floors are generally on a level with or just below the level of the pavement. In
Wright's-place the houses are generally three storeys in height with only one room on each floor, but