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The scheme also provides for workshop and home employment in various
crafts for remuneration, the marketing of produce, the provision of hostels and the
general social welfare of the blind.
This scheme includes arrangements for promoting the welfare of partially
sighted persons.
Street Cleansing and Refuse Disposal. The large area of Woolwich Borough,
8,282 statute acres, necessitates an efficient organisation for the provision of street
cleansing and refuse disposal services. Each main thoroughfare is cleansed daily,
secondary roads twice per week and district roads once per week, this work employing
86 sweepers. House and trade refuse is collected by the Council's fleet of
18 Pagefield lorries, 88 collectors being formed into gangs for this purpose. During
the year under review, 39,526 tons were collected under this system and disposal
of this and trade refuse collected and delivered by various tradesmen was effected
at the Council's own destructor plant at White Hart Marsh, Plumstead. Here,
45,887 tons were received and sorted. The salvaged material, weighing 2,094 tons,
yielded £7,533 when sold.
In addition to house refuse collection, raw kitchen waste is collected throughout
the sanitary area and concentrated at the Council's plant, for sale as pig food.
3,000 tons of waste were collected during the year and, together with waste obtained
from neighbouring boroughs, was sold for £50,692, a valuable contribution to the
income of the Borough.
A piggery has also been established at White Hart Marsh and, at the end of
1949, 264 pigs were being maintained and fed. During the year, the sale of pigs
realised £5,440.
Public Conveniences. Fourteen conveniences for men and a similar number
for women are maintained throughout the area, hours of opening and closing varying
with local requirements. In the town centre, for example, the conveniences are
open from 5.30 a.m. Normally, however, this service is available between the hours
of 6.30 a.m. and 11 p.m.
The information regarding the street cleansing, refuse disposal and public
conveniences, has been kindly supplied by the Borough Engineer.
Public Baths and Wash-houses. The Council now has four bathing establishments
in the Borough, situate at Eltham, Woolwich, Plumstead and North Woolwich.
At Eltham there are two modern luxuriously appointed swimming baths which
were opened in 1939. During the summer months the larger of the two baths is
used for some of the more important national and international swimming competitions
and in winter the bath is converted into a public hall and used for various
kinds of social functions. A modern pre-cleansing system, and first-class locker
system are installed.
At Plumstead there is one large and one small swimming bath, 64 slipper baths,
a public wash-house fitted with 30 washing stalls and a separate building for Turkish
and Russian vapour baths. Conversion of the large bath into a public hall for the
promotion of table tennis and badminton functions is effected during the winter
months.
The indoor bowling green at the Woolwich Baths is a popular attraction during
the winter months. At Woolwich there is a first-class swimming bath (capacity
120,000 gallons), a second-class swimming bath (90,000 gallons) and 60 slipper baths.
At North Woolwich there are 22 slipper baths.
Through the courtesy of the Baths Superintendent, it is possible to present a
comparison between the numbers of bathers using the Baths Service in 1937-38 and
in 1949-50. So far as the swimming figures are concerned, it should be remembered
that the Eltham Baths, which cater exclusively for swimming, were not open during
the year 1937-38.
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