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47
At the end of the year these by-laws were still under consideration by the
London County Council.
Inoffensive trade refuse is removed by the Works Department at a charge of
5s. 0d. per load, and 884 loads were so dealt with.
During the year a change took place in the method of collecting offensive trade
refuse. At the beginning of the year it was the practice of the Council to collect
this refuse by direct labour and to provide special air-tight receptacles for its
collection and removal, for which service a charge of 6d. per receptacle was made.
The collection was under the control of the Works Committee and the refuse was
sold to a company at the price of 17s. 6d. per ton. The company, however, stated
that, owing to the fall of the price of their product, they were unable to continue to
pay the Council 17s. 6d. per ton, and submitted the following alternative proposals
for the Council's consideration:—
(a) The Council to be paid a minimum price of 12s. 6d. per ton for the waste
fish, and for each £1 per ton increase in the market price for fish meal, this
price of 12s. 6d. to be increased by 1s. 0d. per ton;
(b) the Company to collect the waste fish from the various shops in the Borough
and to make their own private arrangements with the owners of the shops
regarding the method and time of collection; the Company to provide the
necessary air-tight receptacles which would satisfy the requirements of the
Public Health Department, and to guarantee the collection of the material
every other day, or weekly, according to the requirements of the premises
affected;
(c) the Council to collect the waste fish and to cart it to a depot from which
the Company would collect it, and cart it to their works free of charge, in
return for the value of the refuse.
The approximate cost per annum to the Council under these proposed schemes
was as follows: (a) £305; (b) Nil; (c) £285.
It was found that scheme (b) was adopted by 23 of the metropolitan boroughs
and that, with one or two exceptions, all these borough councils leave the responsibility
for the removal of the refuse entirely to the shopkeepers to make their own
arrangements, and only intervene if the refuse is not regularly removed from the
shops and the collection carried out in accordance with the London County Council
By-laws connected therewith.
After very careful consideration the Council accepted the offer of the British
Feeding-Meals Co., Ltd., to undertake the collection of the offensive trade refuse
from the shops in the Borough for a period of twelve months. The contract provides
for the termination of the arrangements at any time in the event of the service not
being satisfactory, and further for it being extended at the Council's option if the
work is carried out to the Council's satisfaction.