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35
The question of atmosphere pollution and its attendant evils
is still receiving the earnest attention of health research workers,
but so far, owing to the absence of legislation with respect to
domestic chiemneys. the general improvement in the purity of the
air is unsitisfactory.
Smokeless fuel for open grates is not yet produced in sufficient
quantity to prove a solution of our troubles. It seems to me,
however, that smokeless fuel may well become in the future one of
our chief methods of smoke abatement.
Such smokeless fuel is being produced in Barking, and I hope
that improved methods of production will improve the quality of
the product and that increased production will enable it to be
marketed at an economic figure.
I should certainly like to see smokeless fuel used extensively as
comprehensive experiment.
Factory chimneys are now rarely found offending for any
length of time, largely due to the use of improved methods in the
application of coal, the utilisation of waste heat and the extended
use of gas and electricity.
The problem of smoke abatement as it affects the electricity
generating station at Creeksmouth is a very difficult one. We know
that the officials at that station are constantly endeavouring to
obtain satisfactory combustion conditions and we hope that the}'
will shortly overcome the many difficulties which up to the present
have not been satisfactorily solved.
The question of adopting a bye-law limiting black smoke
comission, is in abeyance pending the result of an application made
to the Ministry of Health with respect to the Greater London Area.
With reference to the general question of the smoke problem
Set before you in my last Annual Report, it is unfortunate that
chemists and engineers have not provided a suitable alternative
to the. common coal lire for domestic purposes.