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14
known as the Highways Committee (Chairman, Councillor J. T. Watson, M.B.E.)
was created to deal with this and other matters.
Prior to the formation of this Committee the whole of the work had been
carried out by contract.
The arrangements have been in the hands of the Highways Committee and
under the control of the Highways Engineer, Mr. James Gair, who has had charge
of this work ever since the decision to discontinue the carrying out by contract of
this most important public health duty was reached.
Despite tremendous difficulties, the arrangements have worked very smoothly
from the beginning, and have shown marked improvement with increasing experience.
Owing to labour and other difficulties it has not, unfortunately, been possible to
depart from the old practice of carrying out removal once a week only, except in the
case of the main business thoroughfares, large institutions, blocks of flats, etc., where
a daily collection is made, or in special cases where the refuse is collected thrice or
oftener as conditions warrant. As matters improve, however, it is definitely the
intention of the Council to institute a system under which more frequent collection
will be made, the ultimate aim being, of course, the only really sanitary one of daily
removal. Another aim of the Council is to have all collection carried out by means
of motor instead of horse-drawn vehicles, and considerable advance has been made
in the direction of attaining this end. At the close of the year the number of motors
regularly engaged was 10, the horse-drawn vehicles numbering about 12.
So far as disposal is concerned, it may be noted that the practice of salvaging
as much as possible of the refuse was continued, only the matters that appeared to
be absolutely valueless being disposed of either by burning at the Council's Wharf,
Paddington Basin, or at the Shoot at Northolt, a disused claypit close to the banks
of the canal, which was taken by the Council in April, 1917. At the moment very
considerable alterations are in progress at the Wharf, which when completed will not
only lead to great improvement in salvage work, but will permit the carrying out of
disposal on more sanitary lines.
The following table, for which I am indebted to Mr. Gair, the Highways
Engineer, contains much interesting information with regard to the amount of
refuse collected during the year ending 31st December, 1919. The amount collected
during the period ending 31st December, 1918, is also shown, from which it will be
seen that the tonnage has greatly increased.
Year ending 31st December, 1919. Year ending 31st December, 1918.
Tons. Tons.
January 3,1354 3,297
February 3,4954 2,4564
March 3,430 2,4874
April 3,220 2,521
May 2,8094 2,038
June 2,079 1,489
July 2,3234 1,612
August 1,8314 1,374
September 2,094 1,404
October 2,8934 2,130
November 3,378 2,463
December 3,794 2,644
34,484 25,916