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and financial, on which a judgment of its value could be formed, is not likely to be
forthcoming until the system has been in operation for an extended period. The
whole question of refuse collection and disposal is under consideration by a committee
appointed by the Minister of Health and, therefore, no useful purpose would be
served by investigating further, at the present time, the adaptation to London
conditions of any particular system. It is, however, interesting to note that the
City of Westminster is investigating the possibilities of improved methods of collecting
house refuse, and devoting considerable attention to the systems adopted in
Cologne and elsewhere on the Continent. In these investigations a "dustless"
system of loading is included, comprising the use of special storage bins and container
vehicles fitted with dust preventing shutters.
Public
conveniences.
Reference was made in the Annual Report for 1928, Vol. III.,p. 31, to a comprehensive
report, which had been prepared as to the number, distribution and adequacy of
public conveniences in the county. Some suggestions were made therein as to matters
in connection with the existing public conveniences in London which required consideration,
and as the provision of public conveniences in London was primarily a
matter for the City Corporation and the several metropolitan borough councils, instructions
were given for copies of the report to be sent to them for their observations
on these suggestions. A copy was also sent to His Majesty's Office of Works.
From only five of the metropolitan borough councils have observations on the
report been received, the replies in these cases indicating that additional provision
was being made in certain localities. The Westminster City Council stated that
the report dealt with many of the difficulties which the city council had already
encountered, and on certain matters made recommendations which had been anticipated
and adopted, e.g., increased free accommodation for women, keeping conveniences
open day and night, and the provision of subway entrances adjoining
the footways to conveniences under the roads. The city council instanced several
localities in Westminster in which it had taken steps materially to improve the
public accommodation.
His Majesty's First Commissioner of Works, stated that it had for many years
been the practice of his department to afford local authorities every reasonable
facility for the provision, on the boundaries of royal parks, of street conveniences
with entrances both from the parks and the adjoining roads, so that they are available
to the public after the parks are closed at night. He mentioned that at the
royal parks 25 per cent. of the lavatory accommodation was free of charge, and that
more directional signs were being placed in the parks.
Action has also been taken by the Council with a view to the provision of more
accommodation on the Victoria-embankment, and at other places. Consideration
has also been given to certain suggestions made in the report as regards conveniences
in the Council's parks and open spaces, where the number of conveniences is being
steadily increased, and additional conveniences are still being provided on sites in
open spaces which are allocated by the Council to metropolitan borough councils
for that purpose. The question of the provision in conveniences, especially in those
in children's recreation grounds, of accommodation of a small pattern suitable for
children, will be considered in connection with their future design.
Drainage
by-laws.
Prolonged and careful consideration, extending over some years, has been
given to the question of amending the by-laws made by the Council in 1900, 1903,
1911 and 1923, under section 202 of the Metropolis Management Act, 1855, and the
Metropolis Management Acts Amendment (By-laws) Acts, 1889 and 1899,
regarding the construction of drains, etc., and the deposit of plans and particulars
of proposed drainage works.
Revised by-laws have been drafted, in which endeavour has been made to
simplify and put into plain technical language the various requirements, to bring
them into line with modern practice, and to alter the order and arrangement so as