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The advent to the district, owing to the river facilities available for handling
timber, of several large joinery and wood-block manufacturers adds to our smoke
troubles. Manufacturers are unable to dispose of their wood waste commercially
and have decided to incinerate it at their factories.
The powers taken in the Barking Corporation Act relative to noise nuisances
enabled us to deal successfully with the nuisance from a steam exhaust at a factory
in Abbey Road.
The consumption of coal at the Creeksmouth Generating Station for the year
1935 was over 900,000 tons.
It may be safely assumed that ten per cent. of this is ash, and perhaps we are
not far wrong in saying that one-tenth of this ash may find its way out as smoke and
grit at the top of the chimneys. This means that some 9,000 tons of grit came
out of the chimneys of this generating station during the course of the year, or in
other words 1 lb. per square yard for the whole of Barking.
11. SWIMMING BATHS.
The present buildings in East Street were erected in 1898, when the population
was approximately 19,000 : it is now 80,000.
This is a covered single bath with a capacity of 90,000 gallons and is only open
during the summer season.
The demand for up-to-date municipal baths in every town has become very
marked in recent years. The type of building and the facilities now provided bear
very little likeness to buildings erected in 1898 under the same description.
Today large tanks with facilities for mixed bathing, for spectators, for refreshment
and for exercise are considered necessary.
In a modern municipal bath the swimming tanks form by far the principal
feature. The demand for slipper baths in Barking, contrary to what is experienced
generally, continues to increase. There are at present no facilities for Russian,
Turkish or foam baths.
In the average town with reasonable transport facilities a central position for
baths has many advantages.
Swimming is one of the finest exercises, but owing to the climate in this country
it is not possible to indulge in it in the open air except for a short period of the year,
therefore it is necessary to provide a covered swimming bath for swimming for all
the year round.