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39
ful. The nuisance from smoke was abated, but excessive grit
was discharged and this caused even more annoyance to
inhabitants in the immediate vicinity. The matter was still
under consideration at the end of the year.
The oft-repeated plea for joint action by all the local
authorities in London and Greater London appeared to be
nearer to fruition during 1937, when a suggestion that a
Regional Joint Committee for the whole of the Metropolitan
Police Area should be formed, was mooted. It is to be
hoped that 1938 will see the scheme in actual being.
Excessive smoke is avoidable except when the furnace
is being freshly lighted up, and it is an offence to permit
the emission of black smoke for more than two minutes
in any consecutive thirty minutes. This limit was
exceeded on several occasions when smoke observations to
the number of 56 were made during 1937. The occupier
of the works in such cases was interviewed as soon as
possible after the offence was noted, and actual working
conditions of the boiler plant investigated. Quite frequently
the cause of the smoke is due to inefficient stoking, and
it would be worth while for works managers to seriously
consider the advisability of allowing stokers to attend
special courses of technical instruction which are, or could
be made available for stokers. Not only would a saving
be affected in the coal bill, but the Borough would retain
the asset of an atmosphere remarkably free from pollution.
COMMON LODGING HOUSES
There are only two registered common lodging houses
in the Borough, viz:—
Nos. 8 and 10, Vicarage Road (Othen's)—50 beds for
men only.
No. 52, Canbury Passage (Marsh's)—35 beds for men only.
As will be seen, there is no accommodation for married
couples or for children in the registered lodging houses.
The Vicarage Road premises are not of modern design,
but they have the advantage of having been designed for
the reception and housing of lodgers. The Canbury Passage