View report page

"With regard to the complaints of flies the following steps were
taken in an endeavour to abate the nuisance:—
(а) Certain material at the Refuse Destructor which was
considered to be a potential breeding ground for these insects
was disposed of to a Contractor.
(b) After representations, an accumulation of manure
situated on the premises of Messrs. Carter Page, Nurserymen,
was adequately covered in and an assurance received that
future accumulations would receive similar treatment.
(c) Periodical inspections of all allotments in the Borough,
particularly those in the vicinity of the Destructor have been
arranged with a view to requiring all accumulations of
manure, etc., to be adequately covered in. (In this connection
I would suggest that a pamphlet be distributed to all allotment
holders setting out the danger of the fly nuisance and the
suggested precautions to be taken.)
(d) Certain houses in which the fly nuisance was particularly
bad were sprayed.
"At the time of writing this report there is no evidence to show
that any immediate danger exists from flies, while the removal of
the material already referred to would appear to have eliminated
the most obvious breeding ground. At the same time, however, it
must be realised that the danger is of sufficient magnitude to
necessitate every step being taken to prevent any breeding taking
place on a large scale.
"With regard to the cricket nuisance a visit was paid to the
Refuse Destructor on Tuesday, August 13th, by a Medical Officer
of the Ministry of Health and an entomologist from the Natural
History Museum when various suggestions were made as to the
possible abatement of the nuisance. These suggestions included
alterations to the fences separating the Destructor from Carpenter
Gardens, the use of crude oil on the dump, the possible use of some
form of hydrocyanic acid gas for the purpose of extermination, and
the secure battening down of the dump and trimming of the edges,
together with preventative measures within the houses affected such
as had previously been undertaken.
"Following these discussions, the fence separating the houses in
Carpenter Gardens from the Refuse Destructor was strengthened
at ground level and the services of an unemployed man were
83