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186
1887, a commmunication was received from the Special Purposes
and Sanitary Committee of the Board on
CONVEYANCE OF OFFENSIVE SUBSTANCES
THROUGH STREETS.
The Committee intimated that they were satisfied that
"serious nuisance does arise in the collection, and conveyance
through streets, of offensive substances, such as fish offal, blood,
kitchen stuff, &c." They admitted, also, that the provisions of the
Nuisances Removal Acts, and the Metropolis Management Act, did
not enable the Local Sanitary Authorities to deal effectively with
the nuisance, and that additional legislative powers were necessary.
But before recommending the Board to take any steps for
obtaining an amendment of the law, the Committee thought it
well to ascertain the views of the several Vestries, &c. In
compliance with the request of your Vestry, I reported fully
on the subject;* my principal contention being, that the nuisance
can be dealt with effectually, only by regulation of the trades
by "bye-laws entailing an adequate and a fixed penalty for
offences; bye-laws made by the Board, but the carrying out of
which should be entrusted to the Local Sanitary Authorities."
Such bye-laws, I said, "with respect to offensive substances of
animal origin, should make provision with regard (1) to storage
vessels, which should be of metal, impervious, and covered ; (2)
to removal in iron tank-vans, or, better still, in the storage vessels
themselves; (3) to time of daily removal; and (4) to measures for
disposal of the refuse." I added that it was " open to consideration
whether the duty of removing all offensive substances should
not be imposed upon the Sanitary Authority, at the reasonable cost
of the producers thereof," a course which, in my opinion, is
imperative if nuisance is to be avoided.
Your Vestry approved my Report, and forwarded it to the Board
(12th December, 1887), together with a letter, in which it was
observed, that "the success of the Board's Regulations, made
* Vide Annual Report for 1887, pages 176—89, inclusive.