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THE HEALTH OF BARKING
vigorous onslaught on the rat population. Your support to this campaign was
immediately given and a directive was issued on behalf of the Minister of Food for
the remedying of infestation in sewers and drains administered by the Council,
The work of surveying and mapping of all the manholes in the area and the loosening
of manhole covers, the fitting of trays in certain circumstances for the reception of
bait was carried out by the Borough Engineer. The initial sewer treatment commenced
in May and during a period of six days, 1,100 manholes received treatment.
These were re-treated one month later. The results obtained were extremely good.
The second treatment was carried out in December and it is estimated that 12,000
rats were exterminated. It is worthy of note that in one instance where it became
necessary to open a choked main drain, forty rat carcasses were found to have caused
the blockage.
Later, the Minister instituted the block control system whereby the whole of
the suspected infested areas of the Borough would be covered by a staff of trained
operatives and investigators. The co-operation of the managements of all factories
and business premises was invited and readily given and the work, which will occupy
a period of nine months, will commence in January, 1947.
ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION.
There is evidence that during the past half century the amount of smoke
produced nationally has lessened and its ill effects on health diminished. This,
unfortunately, is less true of Barking. We have in Barking the two largest public
utility coal-consuming plants in the country, with an annual consumption of
3,000,000 tons. These are the Generating Station of the County of London Electricity
Supply Company at Creekmouth and the Beckton Gasworks of the Gas Light
and Coke Company.
The fact that they are public utility undertakings places their control outside
the jurisdiction of the ordinary nuisance statutes and, therefore, any representations
made must be to the appropriate Central Government Department. It is sufficient
for me to say that with the present difficulties in the fuel and power supply it lS
unlikely that there can be any immediate improvement.
The Council received a report at the end of 1945 upon the condition of the plant
at the Generating Station in which special reference was made to the condition ot
the pulverised fuel plant, which, built in 1926, had completed its useful economic
life.
In February, 1946, the Council were further advised that the Central Electricity
Board, with the approval of the Electricity Commissioners, had issued a directive
to extend the Barking Generating Station. The extension would include the
installation of three 75,000 kw. turbo-alternators, together with six 405,000 lbs./hour
boilers and ancillary works ; the boilers to be pulverised fuel fired and equipped
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