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Bag Flock and Other Filling Materials Act. 1951
This Act, designed to secure the use of clean filling materials in
articles which are upholstered, stuffed or lined, requires the licensing
or registration (as the case may be) of premises where rag flock is manufactured
or stored or filling materials are used Regulations made under
the Act prescribe standards of cleanliness for filling materials.
Premises registered for the use of filling materials number 13, whilst
two premises are licensed for the storage of rag flock. Five samples of
filling materials were obtained from registered premises during the year.
The Analyst reported excessive chlorine content in a sample of woollen
felt, and excessive trash content in one of cotton felt. The vendors
were cautioned for the offences.
Refuse Disposal
The Public Cleansing Officer has kindly supplied the following
information on refuse disposed of during the year:-
House and Trade Refuse - 37,143 tons
Street and Market Refuse - 9,505 tons
Where possible refuse collection is carried out in the Borough by
means of "Paladin" containers, mainly from blocks of flats. This method
was adopted in 1955 since when 950 of these containers have been installed,
which involve 2,150 collections per week.
The Cleansing Department carried out 24,014 cleansings of 5,093
street gullies by means of mechanical gully emptiers.
Rodent Control
In accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, statistics on rodent control work for surface infestations
carried out by the Department during the year were submitted to
the Ministry. In this period 1,669 dwellings and other premises were
inspected and 1,101 found to be infested with mice or rats. Treatments
were carried out by the department's rodent control staff to 973 properties
found to be infested, the charges for servicing business premises amounting
to £346.
By the implementation of Section 4. of the Prevention of Damage by
Pests Act 1949, under which 41 notices were served during the year, it
was found possible to clear bombed sites of refuse which would otherwise
act as possible harbourage for rats and other vermin. Moreover, under
the same section which permits specified works to be carried out, it has
been possible to require sites to be fenced in by the owners.
Legal proceedings were taken against the owner of a vacant site for
failing to comply with one such notice, requiring the removal of refuse
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