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Public Conveniences.—-The usual supervision was exercised over the 15 public sanitary conveniences (12 for men,
4 for women). As from the 24th June, 1946, the Council undertook responsibility for the daily cleansing of the men's
convenience attached to the " Pontefract Castle " Public House, No. 48, Chapel Street.
Special arrangements were made to meet the sanitary convenience of the great crowds that thronged Oxford Street
and its neighbourhood on the occasion of the Victory Celebrations on the 8th June, 1946. The additional accommodation
erected temporarily in the vicinity of the route of the Victory March proved entirely satisfactory and the facilities
provided were greatly appreciated by the public.
Public Cleansing and Salvage.—Amounts dealt with: house and trade refuse, 32,606 tons; street sweepings and
guiley slop, 2,762 tons; salvaged materials, 2,830 tons, including 2,079J tons of kitchen waste for pig and poultry
feeding collected from 550 bins placed at intervals in the streets for the reception of this material. A sum of
£6,787 12s. 8d. was obtained from the sale of salvaged materials. In addition, £587 4s. Id. was received for the removal
of trade refuse, green offal, and the cleansing of petrol interceptors.
On the 15th July, 1946, as part of the post-war re-organisation of the public cleansing services, a revised system of
refuse removal was introduced, providing a minimum twice weekly collection throughout the district and fixing regular
days and times of clearance for all premises in the Borough.
Shops.—Inspections under the Shops Act, 1934, numbered 84. In 4 instances service of notice was necessary.
Diseased or Infirm Persons.—Seventy-seven old people living on their own were visited, and a number of cases
required continued observation. The domestic help service was able to render valuable assistance in many instances.
In no case was it necessary to make'application to Court with a view to obtaining an Order, under Section 224 of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1936, for the removal of an infirm person to hospital.
Bed Bugs.—Sixty-six dwellings (including 18 requisitioned premises) where bugs were found were disinfested. No
instance of verminous conditions in municipal flats was reported. The furniture of 196 families (of whom 162 were
rehoused) was treated by the hydrogen cyanide process. Seven thousand air-raid shelter bunks were similarly dealt
with before sale to the public.
Verminous Persons.—The numbers of adults and school children using the Cleansing Station were 518 (435 men,
83 women) and 938 (203 boys, 735 girls) respectively.
Rats and Mice.—Complaints received numbered 723, and 62 food and 494 other premises were found to be infested.
Of the 62 food premises, 26 were shops and 36 hotels and restaurants ; the 494 other premises included 257 dwelling
houses, 85 shops, 94 warehouses and stores, 10 factories, 28 hospitals and institutions, and 20 offices. Where necessary,
ratproofing was carried out at infested premises. The chief methods employed for the extermination of rats were
poison baiting and trapping, and the work was carried out on the fines recommended by the Ministry of Food. Sewer
treatments were applied in January and July.
Under the Council's rat destruction service, occupiers of residential properties and business premises are charged
5/- and 10/- per treatment respectively. Advantage of the scheme was taken in 556 cases, in four of which, on the
ground of inability to pay, the charges against the occupiers of tenement dwellings were waived. The rat catchers
made 7,781 visits in connection with this service—an increase of 803 visits on the total for 1945, due to the two wholetime
operatives having the part-time assistance of the Mortuary Keeper on this work as from the 1st April, 1946.
Dog Nuisance.—Contravention of the bye-law relating to the fouling of footways by dogs was reported by the Streets
Nuisance Inspector in 41 cases and by police officers in one instance, in all of which (excepting one where the summons
was not served) convictions were secured and penalties imposed. The total number of prosecutions since the bye-law
came into operation in 1928 is 351, the amount of fines imposed being £134 6s. Od.
Mosquitoes.—Nine complaints of mosquitoes were received. The nuisances were traced to breeding in emergency
water tanks and bombed sites, and appropriate treatment proved effective.
Noise.—Twenty-two complaints of noise were received. They were concerned with such diverse matters as dancing,
orchestras, fire alarm bells, roller skating, motor cars, gramophones, wireless loudspeakers, printing press, furriers,
night club, donkey engines, and dogs. In one case of a noisy dog a notice was served under the Bye-laws for the
Good Rule and Government of the Administrative County of London, but in view of the fact that the complainants
were unwilling to give evidence in Court, legal proceedings could not be instituted.
Smoke.—Twelve complaints of nuisance from smoke were received, relating mainly to commercial premises and large
blocks of flats. Abatement was seemed in all cases as a result of informal action.
Poisons.—The names of 78 traders were on the Council's list of persons entitled to sell poisons included in Part II of
the Poisons List (Pharmacy and Poisons Acts, 1852 to 1941), the premises concerned numbering 89.
Factories.—The number of registered factories was 1,648 (with mechanical power, 1,261 ; without mechanical power,
387). Frequent inspections were carried out, and conditions were remedied in 64 instances (want of cleanliness 24;
insufficient or unsuitable sanitary conveniences 27 ; other defects 13). Outworkers lists were received from 54 employers
in respect of 87 contractors and 667 workpeople.
Sanitary Inspection.—The total number of complaints received was 1,854, and rat infestations were again responsible
for the largest number (723). Details of the various nuisances detected and remedied, to the total number of 2,932,
are set out in Table 5. In 982 cases a preliminary (intimation) notice was issued, and in 72 instances this was followed
by the service of a statutory notice to secure abatement of nuisances. In one case legal proceedings were instituted