View report page

45
SECTION V.—SANITARY ADMINISTRATION.
Staff.—During the year there were, on the staff of the Sanitary Section of the
Department, one Chief Sanitary Inspector, Ten Male Inspectors, one Woman
Inspector, and two part-time Women Inspectors.
Mr. William Wood, who joined the staff of the Plumstead Vestry in 1897, was
superannuated on the 4th June through reasons of ill-health, and Mr. H. M. Kersey
was appointed to the vacancy so caused and commenced duties on the 22nd
September. Mr. Wood died on the 2nd December.
Water Supply.—The water supply of the Borough is under the control of the
Metropolitan Water Board, and no complaints were received with regard to the
quality of the water supply during the year.
Removal and Disposal of Refuse.—House refuse is collected and disposed of
by direct labour in Woolwich, and is under the control of the Works Committee of
the Council. Collection is made once weekly with the exception of a few special
instances where a twice-weekly collection is made. All house refuse is disposed of
by burning at the Council's Destructor, White Hart Lane. All tins are salved,
treated in a hydraulic press and sold. The clinker is mixed with bitumen and is
used for surfacing certain roads in the Borough.
Most of the dustbins in the Borough are of the moveable pattern ; it was found
necessary to take action for the renewal of 713 dustbins.
Trade refuse is removed at a charge of 5s. per load, and 3,435 loads were so
dealt with.
Special air-tight receptacles are provided by the Council for the collection
and removal of offensive trade refuse. A charge of 6d. per receptacle is made for
this service, an empty bin (which has been cleansed with steam) being left each
time a full one is collected.
(I ater Closet Accommodation.—The number of cesspools in the Borough, which
are only to be found in Plumstead and Eltham, increased in number from 27 to 31.
In Plumstead the cesspools are practically all on Shooters Hill as there is no
sewer for these houses on that part of Shooters Hill lying between the top
of the hill and the Kent boundary. The question of the removal of sewage in this
area has been a matter of serious consideration for some years past, but the matter
became more acute during the year because proposals were mooted for the erection
of other houses with frontages on Shooters Hill. If these houses were erected it
would be necessary either to construct an expensive sewer from Shooters Hill to
W ickham Lane, or to make arrangements with the West Kent Sewage Board for