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65
NEGLECT TO COMPLY WITH WATER-CLOSET BYE-LAWS—In accordance
with the Bye-laws with respect to water-closets &c made under Section
54 of the City of London (Various Powers) Act 1900 every person who shall intend
to construct a water-closet or to connect or disconnect any watercloset from any
soil pipe or drain shall at least seven days before the work is to be commenced
deliver or send to the Corporation at the Guildhall a plan showing the situation of
such watercloset drawn to scale together with a section showing the proposed
means of ventilation
Under Section 17 every person who shall offend against these Byelaws renders
himself liable to a penalty of £5 for every such offence and in the case of a continuing
offence to a further penalty of 40s for each day after written notice of
this offence from the Corporation
Any infringement of such Byelaw is a serious matter and may lead to considerable
trouble and expense to the owner of the property inasmuch as it may
necessitate the condemnation of a system installed in contravention of the
Corporation requirements
No instance of neglect in this respect has occurred during the year under review
DRAINAGE PLANS—In the course of the year 156 plans were submitted
with regard to proposed reconstruction of waterclosets or drains in the City
Of these 133 were approved 10 revised and approved and 13 not approved
STREET GULLIES—The gradual substitution of properly trapped gullies for
those formerly existing has greatly reduced the number of complaints received of
offensive smells arising from those appliances especially in warm weather In some
cases this nuisance was doubtless due to want of flushing but in the majority
faulty construction was the cause of the trouble
The City Engineer has given special attention to this matter for several years
past and his action in replacing the old pattern gullies with those of a more upto
date design will I hope eventually lead to a complete abatement of the evil
OVERCROWDING—Overcrowding is a nuisance to be dealt with summarily
under Section 2 Subsection 1 (e) of the Public Health (London) Act 1891 and
during the year one case was reported by your officers On the service of the
statutory notice of abatement the overcrowding was discontinued
SANITARY DEFECTS AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE—In every case of
notification of infectious disease the premises involved were inspected with regard
to the drainage system water supply ventilation &c; and of the 151 cases so
investigated in 1921 it was found necessary to reconstruct the sanitary system in
five instances and to make amendments to soil and waste pipes waterclosets &c
in 61 others
HOUSE TRADE AND OTHER REFUSE REMOVAL—The City Engineer
informs me that the refuse removed from the City in 1921 consisted of 17819
cartloads of street sweepings and slops and 46541 loads of house and trade refuse
a total of 64360 loads The total for the year 1920 was 61236 The use of the
Destructor was discontinued in September 1905 since which date all refuse has
been removed by barge from Lett's Wharf to the Corporation land on Hornchurch
Marshes where it is dealt with The horse manure collected from the street
orderly bins is not included in the above but is dealt with by a contractor who sells
it to market gardeners and others
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS—During the year 537 notices have been served by
the District Inspectors at the order of the Sanitary Committee and in three cases
only was it found necessary in consequence of noncompliance therewith to refer
the matters to the City Solicitor with a view to such steps being taken as he deemed
necessary
SUMMER FLUSHING OF COURTS—There are 279 courts and narrow
passages throughout the City which were regularly flushed during the Summer
months under the direction of the City Engineer who informs me that in this
service and the flushing of the main streets no less than 33552709 gallons of water
were used Of these courts and alleys 20 were flushed six times a week 10 five
times a week 2 four times a week 27 three times a week 126 twice a week and
94 once a week
K