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please" were printed on every sheet of toilet paper. The whole scheme proved a success, and during
the remaining eight months of the year there were approximately 146,000 free washes. In the
corresponding period of 1948 the number of paid washes was 56,855.
Public Cleansing and Salvage.—The Director of Public Cleansing has kindly provided the following
information on these services.
The approximate amounts dealt with during 1949 were : house and trade refuse, 34,460 tons ;
street sweepings and gully slop, 3,040 tons ; salvaged materials, 4,670 tons, including 1,715 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 £9,997 7s. 8d. was obtained from the sale of salvaged
materials. In addition, £938 19s. 11d. was received for the removal of trade refuse, green offal and
the cleansing of petrol interceptors.
During the year delivery was taken of two new vacuum gully-emptying machines and six lowloading
vehicles for the collection of street sweepings. Orders were also placed for 50 new street
orderly trucks and 60 sand and ballast bins.
Shops.—Inspections under the Shops Act, 1934, numbered 647. In 11 instances service of notice
was necessary.
Sales from Slot Machines—Contraceptives.—On the 8th November, 1949, the London County Council
made a byelaw under section 146 of the London Government Act, 1939, prohibiting the sale of
contraceptives from slot machines so placed as to be used by persons in the street. This byelaw, which
follows the model form prepared by the Secretary of State, was confirmed by the Home Secretary
on the 7th January, 1950, and came into operation on that date.
Diseased or Infirm Persons.—Only once was it necessary to resort to action under section 47 of the
National Assistance Act, 1948. In this case a spinster, aged 81 years, was living alone in a very
neglected state in an insanitary basement room. She was quite incapable of looking after herself.
The only known relative was a niece in Northern Ireland who stated she was unable to help her aunt
in any way. All possible assistance was rendered by the domestic help service and by visitors from
the Public Health Department and a local church. Eventually it became imperative in her own
interests that she should be removed to hospital. As she refused to leave her room voluntarily,
application to Court was made and the period named in the order issued was three months. The
woman, however, died from myocardial degeneration and senility after two months in the Paddington
(General) Hospital. Private burial was arranged by the church authorities, and the meagre effects
left by the deceased were dealt with by the Welfare Department of the London County Council.
Burial or Cremation of the Dead.—Under the provisions of section 50 of the National Assistance Act,
1948, it is a duty of the Council to cause to be buried or cremated the body of any person who has died
or been found dead in the Borough where no other suitable arrangements for disposal of the body have
been or are being made. The arrangements set up when the section became operative on the 5th July,
1948, continued to work satisfactorily and during 1949 the burial of 14 bodies was undertaken by the
Council. The total expenditure incurred in dealing with these cases was £98 6s. 6d., of which
£32 12s. 5d. had been recovered by the end of the year.
During the year regional hospital boards were requested by the Minister of Health to arrange and
pay for the burial or cremation of patients who die in hospitals within the National Health Service
scheme, in cases where relatives of the deceased (i) were not, immediately before the patient's death,
liable for his or her maintenance under section 42 (1) of the National Assistance Act, 1948, and are not
willing to arrange for the burial; (ii) are unable to obtain a death grant under the National Insurance
Act, 1946, and cannot otherwise afford to arrange for burial; or (iii) cannot be traced. The Minister
considered that the foregoing categories would include the majority of patients dying in hospital whose
relatives did not undertake to arrange for burial. Hospital authorities were, however, advised that,
in the exceptional case where a "liable" relative fails to carry out his responsibility, the matter should
be referred to the local authority, upon whom the residual duty rests under the Act of 1948, and who
have in appropriate cases the power to recover funeral expenses from the person legally responsible
therefor.
Consideration was given to the position arising in cases where the Borough Council are requested
to arrange for the burial of stillborn children. As the Act refers to the burial of "persons" and it was
established that a stillborn child, having had no separate existence, was not a "person," the Council
were probably not strictly liable to arrange for the disposal of the body. Not wishing to avoid liability
on a technicality such as this, the Council gave instructions that in cases where no other suitable
arrangements were being made, the burial of the bodies of stillborn children should be carried out by
the Council without prejudice to their rights to recover the cost from any responsible person,