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under notice, and on inspection were found to have fallen into a very bad state. Upon
the service of sanitary notices, the owner decided to close them, and to deal with them
thoroughly. The houses have now been closed for several months, but will shortly be
ready for'occupation again. A very large amount of work has been carried out under
the supervision of the chief inspector, involving extensive alterations in the arrangement
of the rooms, with a view to increasing their size, and improving light and
ventilation, and rendering each set of apartments self-contained. The entrance passages
and the floors of the sculleries have been concreted, the premises have been cleansed
and repaired throughout, the water supply and sanitary arrangements generally have
been attended to, and a very great improvement has been effected.
The two houses in Eoyal Oak Walk are small two-roomed dwellings. They were
found in a very dirty and dilapidated condition, and in order to put them into a proper
sanitary condition it was necessary for the people to leave ; they were effectually dealt
with under the supervision of inspector Lindon. The premises No. 103, Worship
Street, were used for the purposes of a laundry business and as a dwelling. They were
in a very insanitary condition, the whole of the drainage arrangements being very
defective. They were dealt with by statutory notice under the Public Health (London)
Act, 1891, the necessary work being carried out under the supervision of inspector
Jordan.
SMOKE NUISANCE.
During the year complaints were received from various sources respecting chimneys
other than the chimneys of private houses, sending forth black smoke in such quantities
as to constitute nuisances liable to be dealt with summarily under the Public Health
Act. Twenty-six communications containing some 42 complaints, referring to shafts
on 12 premises in Shoreditch, were received from the London County Council. The
complaints all received attention, and a good deal of the time of inspector Quelch, who
is specially charged with the duty, was bestowed upon keeping the offending chimneys
and shafts under observation with a view to the necessary steps being taken for the
abatement of the nuisarces. In all cases the existences of the nuisances were brought
to the notice of the parties responsible, and as a rule with beneficial results. There is
very little doubt that nuisance from the emission of black smoke may be prevented by
proper attention to the stoking and the character of the coal burnt.
In 12 instances, notwithstanding the warning of the Vestry's officer, the nuisance
continued to exist, and it was necessary to report the cases to the Public Health
Committee, who ordered the service of statutory notices under the Public Health
(London) Act, 1891, requiring the abatement of the nuisances. In most cases the
notice of the Sanitary Authority had the desired effect; in two, however, the nuisance
continued as badly as ever, and it was necessary to summons the offenders. Proceedings
were taken against the Great Eastern Railway Company on account of the nuisance
in connection with the shaft of their Electric Light Station in High Street.