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14
action has been necessary in respect to any form of contamination.
The number of dwelling houses supplied as at 31st
December last was 34,939 and the population as at 30th June,
1955, as obtained from the Registrar-General was 110,900.
We are unable to state the number of houses supplied by
standpipes, but the total is quite insignificant."
The only part of our district to which the main water supply is
not yet available is a very small area on our boundary at Dennises
Corner. Certain of the cottages there have in fact been provided
with access to a main supply but three of them have not so far been
similarly favoured. This is a matter which will be kept under
review.
Atmospheric Pollution.
This matter is attracting an ever increasing amount of attention
and one hopes that our powers will shortly be radically strengthened
in our fight to combat unclean air.
In a district such as Hornchurch, very largely residential, any
pollution from a factory in the area tends to be more evident because
of its infrequency (because there are so few factories) whilst at the
same time the substantial pollution caused by domestic smoke tends
to be overlooked. The problem of achieving clean air depends on no
one authority and no one individual but it is equally a problem
which cannot begin to be solved unless each authority and each
individual makes a positive contribution to its solution. This can
readily be achieved if the will to do so exists. So far as concerns
smokeless fuel, however, it seems to me that the national fuel
policy is involved and the householder must eventually be convinced
that he is getting at least equal value for money if he buys this
type of fuel as against bituminous coal. He must also of course
have an adequate supply of smokeless fuel, of adequate quality made
available to him for purchase as well as a suitable grate in which
to burn it. I think few people would claim that these criteria have
yet been satisfied.
We have in Hornchurch certain definite causes of complaint,
notably St. George's Hospital and railway engines at Upminster.
Although some improvement has resulted from our efforts I am still
not really satisfied with the degree of success which co-operation
with the authorities concerned has achieved. I think that complainants
on matters of this nature whilst they undoubtedly have
some cause for complaint, in many instances are far from fully
appreciating the difficulty of securing smokeless air. How far imminent
legislation is likely to clear the air only practice will show.
Legislation must be directly related to reality and in the case of
atmospheric pollution this very fact may well tend to make progress
more leisurely than the average member of the public may hope or
expect.