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materials, whether old or new. It does not include flock
obtained wholly in the processes of scouring and finishing of
newly woven or newly knitted or newly felted fabrics. The
original Act and the Regulations made thereunder prescribe
a standard of cleanliness for rag flock. During the year one
sample was taken for analysis and it complied with the
regulations in as much as the soluble chlorine in the form
of chlorides was 25 parts of chlorine in 100,000 parts of flock.
The legal limit is 30 parts.
Rag flock is only manufactured on a wholesale scale at
one factory in the Borough, but it is sold at several shops.
Offensive Trades. There are no offensive trades in the
Borough.
Action Taken with regard to Smoke Abatement. The
Sanitary Inspectors in the ordinary course of their duties
keep chimney stacks under observation and record any
nuisance from smoke. In addition to this, special investigations
are made where complaints are received. In the
course of the year, 332 special observations were recorded
and 28 offences were discovered. All the offenders were
warned and one written notice was served. It is not quite
fair in this matter to assume that smoke pollution of the
atmosphere is due entirely to the factory chimney. Indeed,
many authorities on this subject say that most of the blame
should be apportioned to the domestic chimney—being
another illustration, if such be needed, of the result of an
accumulation of little things. This aspect of this problem
will be with us for many years yet, owing to the inborn
preference of the inhabitants of these isles for that traditional
British picture—the open fire. Efficient substitutes have
been provided by the use of electricity, gas and special fuels,