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Your Chief Inspector, who was responsible for the war damage repair scheme from the
outset, took the fullest advantage of this factor in co-operation with the technical
officers of the Ministry of Health and the Council have derived considerable benefit thereby.
Later on, town planning, so far as the Department Is concerned, became more a matter
of comprehensive development but the Council's Town Planning Department have been assisted
at all times with technical advice when dealing with applications for interim developments
and proposals to change the user of various premises within the district. 150 visits of
inspection were made for this purpose during 1950.
SMOKE ABATEMENT
Some years ago one's efforts were directed to teaching efficient combustion and fuel
economy in industrial furnaces as the one sure road to a cleaner sky, and after first learning
the art of boiler management, one taught the stokers in one's district how to get the
maximum from the coal, and so achieve a clean chimney top. Unfortunately the Ministry of
Fuel and Power Is apt to apply the principle that "You are doing nicely here, we must downgrade
your coal'. So the men's reward for a clean chimney top is to be supplied with a lower
grade coal. There can be no encouragement to do more than one's strict statutory duty until
this procedure is abandoned.
During the year 140 observations were taken of factory chimneys, and action was taken
according to circumstances where offences were disclosed. No prosecutions were necessary.
After a lifetime of striving for clean air, the present signs of a general awakening
of the public conscience are most gratifying. As Licensing Officer I can now, in effect,
impose a condition as part of a licence authorising the erection of a new house, that
efficient and officially approved stoves and grates shall be installed, capable not only of
burning smokeless fuel, but of burning coal efficiently and with little smoke. Some 35
million tons of fuel are used annually on domestic grates in this country, but only 6 million
tons consist of smokeless fuel; that is all that is available. What a pity it is that certain
speakers urge so forcibly, but with so little knowledge, that all householders should be
compelled to use only smokeless fuel; it Just cannot be done.
Some local authorities have been so misled as to declare smokeless zones. Sooner or
later we shall see these pranks confined to the new towns where they will serve a useful
purpose. Myself, I would dearly like to be present when a tearful housewife from a smokeless
zoned corner of a large town demands permission from the Inspector to break the law by using
raw coal because smokeless fuel is not available.
FOOD FACTORIES, CAFES AND RESTAURANTS AND FOOD SHOPS
During the year, constant pressure was maintained upon all classes of premises in
which food is manufactured or sold and it should be noted that 522 inspections of manufacturing
premises were made, 1138 of retailers and 911 of cafe and restaurant kitchens whilst other
classes of food purveyors accounted for 3,643 inspections® These inspections cover a dual
purposes they are, firstly, to ensure that the food being prepared or sold is fit for human
consumption, and secondly, they are to ensure that the conditions under which food is prepared
or sold, comply with the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, the West Ham Corporation Act, 1937 and other
relevant legislation. It could not be said that, during the year, the Influence of the newly
formed Clean Food Association had made any appreciable difference although there were signs of
an awakening of Interest not only by the traders but by the general public.
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