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22
On the 14th April complaint was made by the Superintendent of the
Training Ship "Exmouth" of the serious nuisance caused by unloading
manure barges at a wharf opposite the vessel.
By representation this was remedied by immediate removal, but this is only
a temporary relief.
The only way to deal satisfactorily with this constantly recurring trouble
is to appoint certain places at which only these foul cargoes can be discharged.
There would be no difficulty as to this, and no prohibitory interference
with the trade, if only the riparian Authorities (who are mainly interested in
the question) could be brought to see it in this light.
But unhappily this is not the case, and as long as the inhabitants of a
district enjoy or seem to enjoy such traffic unregulated and unlicensed, it
will be useless for the Port Sanitary Authority to interfere at all actively in
the matter.
Another troublesome nuisance is caused by the foul condition of St.
Saviour's Dock, in the bed of which is an accumulation of mud derived partly
by subsidence from the river water, and partly by refuse allowed to fall in
from some of the wharves.
The Thames Conservancy declined all responsibility in the matter, as did
also all the wharfingers whose premises abut on to the Dock.
Notices were therefore served on all these parties to cleanse the bed of the
creek within a certain time, and, as a consequence, a conference was held at
the Guildhall, when all were represented. Without accepting any legal
liability, the Thames Conservancy agreed to make certain experiments as to
the simplest plan of removing the accumulation, which, it is hoped, will be
successful, and get rid of what is undoubtedly a nuisance injurious to health.
CATTLE STEAMERS.
Much trouble has been caused by the perfunctory manner in which steamers
which have carried cattle are cleaned.
This cleaning, and the subsequent disinfection with the object of preventing
the importation of disease, is under the control of the Board of Agriculture,
and therefore does not properly concern the Sanitary Authority.
But unfortunately this is frequently attended to in so careless a manner, as
not only to be a perfect farce as regards the destruction of disease germs (its
only raison d'etre), but the vessels are frequently found to be so unclean as
to be a nuisance injurious to health, and as such, come at once under the
purview of your officers.