Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for London, City of ]
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Fires at the tip occur but seldom, and, as a precaution, iron water pipes are laid across the top
of the tip, with joints at intervals to allow for the fixing of fire hose.
No rats have been seen at the tip for several years, and this result may reasonably be attributed
to the system of controlled tipping. Arrangements have been made for dealing with these vermin
should their presence be suspected at any time.
During the year ended 31st December, 1937, the tonnage of refuse collected was as follows :—
| House, trade and market refuse | 44,751 |
| Street and gully refuse | 14,075 |
| Total tons | 58,826 |
Seventy-three per cent, of the refuse was collected by horse vans and 27 per cent, by motor waggons.
It is estimated that the above total tonnage is equal to over 200,000 cubic yards.
Cleansing of Streets, Courts and Gullies.
The major part of the work of street cleansing is done during the night, when the whole of the
City is cleansed either by motor brooms, motor water waggons or jet and hose.
The condition of the centres of the carriageways in main thoroughfares during dry weather,
except in market areas, is clean enough to render a nightly washing of the whole surface unnecessary,
and such carriageways are therefore completely washed once a week only. On the other five nights
of the week the channels are washed. In wet weather, however, the whole of the carriageways are
washed every night if necessary.
Certain secondary streets, including those in the vicinity of Billingsgate and Leadenhall Markets,
are washed every night, and streets in the vicinity of Smithfield Market three times per week.
Most of the street gullies are emptied as often as required by mechanical means, two machines
being employed for this purpose every night. After the gullies have been emptied, they are re-sealed
with clean water from the machines and the contents of the gullies removed to Lett's Wharf.
Gullies in courts and narrow thoroughfares, which are inaccessible to the machines, are emptied
by hand or flushed, as required.
During the year 1937, 64,973 gullies were cleansed and 25,290,000 gallons of water used for cleansing
streets, courts and gullies.
HOUSING ACT, 1936.
The Housing Act, 1936, which came into operation on the 1st January, 1937, repeals
and re-enacts in consolidated form the provisions of the Housing Acts of 1925, 1930 and 1935.
The Housing Act, 1936, is divided into seven parts. Part I contains general definitions
of the local authority for the purposes of the Act. Part II relates to the repair, sanitary
condition, etc., of small houses. Part III relates to clearance, improvement and redevelopment.
Part IV relates to overcrowding. Part V relates generally to the provision
of houses by local authorities. Part VI collects together the subsidy provisions of the Acts
of 1930 and 1935. Part VII contains a number of miscellaneous and general provisions
taken from all three earlier Acts.
Section 62 of Part IV of the Act provides that six months after the appointed day,
which was fixed as 1st July, 1936, for the City of London, all rent books or similar documents
used in relation to a dwelling house shall contain a statement of the permitted number of
persons in relation thereto, based on the floor area and number of rooms, and a summary
in the prescribed form of the provisions of Sections 58, 59 and 61 of the Act. The date
after which new cases of overcrowding constitute an offence under the Act was fixed by
the Minister of Health as 1st January, 1937.
Although explanatory leaflets were addressed to all persons and firms early in 1936,
further reminders have been sent to landlords and employers of resident housekeepers in
the City, and 1,007 applications have been received for the " permitted number of persons."
This necessitated the measuring of 364 dwellings.
For the purposes of the City, it has been found convenient to divide dwellings into
three groups : (1) Private dwelling houses, (2) Dwellings provided by the Corporation,
and (3) Dwellings occupied by housekeepers and caretakers, each group presenting its own
particular problems.
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