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very prevalent during the past year of depositing articles other
than waste food and bones in these bins, and also to obviate
the danger to pedestrians during blackout hours.
TRADE REFUSE.
The contract system for the collection of Trade Refuse from
business premises within the Borough continues to operate most
satisfactorily, and has again been extended this year.
Every trader who comes under this scheme, from the smallest
shop to the largest factory, has had an allowance made in his
contract rate for any salvageable materials collected from his
premises, i.e. cardboard, paper, metal, tins, etc. From reports
received all traders participating in the scheme are quite
satisfied with the services rendered by the Department.
REFUSE DISPOSAL.
During the past year the total tonnage of refuse handled at
these Works has been 23,099 tons. After the subtraction of all
salvageable material the actual tonnage that goes to the furnaces
is naturally low.
The great drive for salvage enables us to dispose of various
grades of scrap for which it has previously been very difficult
to find markets. Ashes, cinders, etc., have been sold for use
in the construction of roadways to camps and aerodromes, and
screened dust to farmers.
STREET AMD MARKET CLEANSING.
Despite the blackout conditions, and the reduction in the
number of sweepers owing to the fact that the majority of regular
employees are now serving with H.M. Forces, every endeavour has
been made to maintain the pre-war standard of cleansing. Here
again the public could greatly assist if they would refrain from
littering the streets with bus tickets, etc., and would use the
litter baskets which have recently been reconditioned and refixed
to the trolley-bus poles throughout the Borough.
GULLY CLEANSING.
The Gully machine still continues to give excellent serviceduring
the year 1943, 13,000 gullys have been cleansed, disinfected
and sealed.
CIVIL DEFENCE.
The Department is responsible for the maintenance and painting
of the Gas Detector points throughout the Borough. These were
all repainted during the past year.
Decontamination Squads have been continuously on standby duties
in conjunction with the Fire Guard Business and Government
Premises Order 1943. These men are available not only to deal
with fires, but for any emergency outside the Works, such as
removing debris from main roads.
GENERAL.
The Department is still responsible for the clearance of bombed
sites and debris from roads. During the past year this work has
proceeded in accordance with Government circulars. All classes
of building materials which could be salvaged for re-use have been
recovered, and have been used for carrying out repairs to bombdamaged
properties, building of shelters, blast walls, N.F.S.
sub-stations, static water tanks, etc.
11.