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70
The principal lessons of the Conference were (1) that the law
against smoke nuisance should be strictly enforced, being both
to the pecuniary interest of manufacturers and the sanitary interest
of the public, and (2) that gas, coke, and other smokeless
forms of fuel should replace the use of bituminous coal.
26. Defective Light.—At 90 houses new windows were supplied
or existing windows enlarged, or other work done to
improve the lighting by daylight. The dark rooms found are
usually situated in the basements; whitewashing the area often
improves the light for a short time, but the whitewashing needs
to be done very frequently. Enlargement, or raising the window,
often has the desired effect. In certain cases where the ground
at the back of the house is below the floor level, the wall between
the front and back basement rooms has been removed, the front
room thus obtaining light from the back.
27. Verminous Booms.—53 verminous rooms were cleansed
under the London County Council General Powers Act of 1904.
Numerous others were dealt with as dirty rooms under the
Nuisance Section.
Dust Removal.
28. In Woolwich Parish 6,959 loads of house and trade refuse,
weighing 8,204 tons, were removed by direct labour and destroyed
at the Woolwich destructor. The cost of removal was £1,732
6s. 10d.,andof destruction £1,192 14s. 5d., from which should be
deducted £272 10s. 1d., received for sale of clinkers, &c. In the
two preceding years, 9,291 and 7,352 loads respectively were
removed.
In Plumstead 12,674 loads, weighing 11,534 tons, were removed
by the contractors, Messrs. Tuff & Hoar, and destroyed by
the Plumstead destructor. £2,775 4s. 5d. was paid for collection.