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72
Annual Report of the London County Council, 1910.
Smoke
nuisance
Nuisances.
The annual reports of medical officers of health show that considerable effort is made in London
to deal with smoke nuisance, and in some the statement is made that smoke nuisance is of less frequent
occurrence than formerly. The premises dealt with under the smoke provisions of the Public Health
Act include various manufacturing premises, electricity supply works, laundries, bakehouses, fried
fish shops, hotels, clubs, etc. Both Dr. Collingridge and Dr. Allan, in their reports relating respectively
to the City and Westminster, comment on nuisances experienced from the chimneys of small
houses, the smoke from which enters the windows of neighbouring houses situated at a higher level.
In the last annual report it was stated that the Council was seeking powers for sanitary authorities
to deal with smoke nuisance other than that arising from black smoke; but this
application to Parliament was not successful. The Council obtained powers which enable it on the
request of a sanitary authority in any special case to enforce the provisions of sections 23 and 24 of
the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, and, with the consent of the Local Government Board, to enforce
the provisions of these sections in their application to any building or premises belonging to or
used bv a sanitarv authority.

Nuisance
from 8table
manure
The references to nuisances from stable manure in the annual reports of medical officers of health
are comparatively few, and there can be no doubt that the decrease in the horse population of London
must be having effect in reducing the amount of manure which is produced. In the reports relating to
Paddington and Stoke Newington this reduction is commented upon and directly attributed to this
cause. In the report relating to Wandsworth, Dr. Caldwell Smith states that the accumulations which
had to be removed after notice were more numerous in 1910 than in the preceding year. It may
be that owners of small accumulations of manure are meeting with greater difficulty than before in
finding contractors willing to undertake the work of manure collection. The sanitary authority,
however, is empowered by section 36 of the Public Health (London) Act to employ scavengers or to
contract with scavengers for this purpose, and the question of the exercise of this power is, in this event,
deserving of consideration. The medical officer of health of Finsbury states that the by-law prescribing
the conditions under which stable manure must be conveyed through the streets is inadequate
for the prevention of nuisance.
Other
nuisances
The annual reports show that nuisances of various kinds were dealt with during the year, in
some instances involving application to the magistrate. The keeping of swine is referred to in the
reports relating to Hammersmith and Finsbury. The removal of offensive matter during prohibited
(a) Complaints only.