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fuels. The available smokeless fuels will be needed, and can be used
to better advantage, for the prevention of domestic smoke. It would
appear unlikely, therefore, that the Minister would agree to an Order
being made in respect of an area of mixed development if a local
authority sought to make it entirely smokeless. A possible alternative
would be to include the industries concerned in a Smoke Control
Area but to exempt them from the terms of the Order if their
furnaces were equipped with efficient mechanical stokers designed
and operated so as to minimise the emission of smoke. This would
have the effect of preventing undue smoke without increasing the
demand for smokeless fuels. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that
owners and occupiers of commercial and residential premises in the
area might well raise strong objections to their own property having
to conform to an Order whilst industrial premises in the same area
were exempt.
The availability of adequate supplies of smokeless fuels is another
aspect of the subject which requires careful consideration. Although
supplies are increasing, very much more will be needed if the Clean
Air Campaign is to go forward ; the magnitude of the task can be
realised when one considers that 44,769 tons of house coal were sold
by Wembley merchants in 1956. Much of the solid smokeless fuel
now available is coke and whilst it is an excellent fuel in many ways,
particularly for closed stoves and boilers, it is not readily acceptable
to all householders for use on open fires. The low temperature
carbonisation fuels sold under proprietary names and the more recendy
introduced re-active cokes are likely to be more acceptable to the
public, except for the price, but they are not in plentiful supply. In
comparison with gas coke, they are more easily ignited, burn with a
short bright flame, and can be kept going with a shallower fuel bed.
Some of the more active smokeless fuels can be used on the older
type of appliances but modern grates with controlled air supply will
burn them more efficiently.
The Council has given preliminary consideration to the institution
of a Smoke Control Area but up to the moment one has not been
defined.
The Council are corporate members of the National Smoke
Abatement Society and the Council's representatives on this body are
Alderman C. H. Smith, O.B.E., D.L., and the Chief Public Health
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