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29
This was done, your Medical Officer giving evidence before the Commission
in July at considerable length.
The evidence was directed to exhibit certain defects in existing legislation
and control in the matter of the cultivation and sale of edible shellfish. For
instance, your Medical Officer pointed out that the Sections of the Public
Health Act relating to unsound food could not be made applicable to shellfish
inasmuch as action could only be taken on the results of a bacterioscopic
examination.
That the Port Sanitary Authority should be granted powers to enter upon
and inspect shellfish grounds, and if polluted, to prohibit further laying of
shellfish there.
That the discharge of sewage into the waters of the Estuary in proximity
to shellfish grounds is dangerous to the public health, and that crude sewage
should be so treated that this danger would be minimised or abolished
altogether.
That the Corporation as the Port Sanitary Authority was the proper body
to exercise the powers required, it possessed the requisite machinery, and from
its constitution was entitled to the confidence of the shellfish trade. At the
present time the only powers possessed by the Port Sanitary Authority were
under the Public Health (London) Act, 1891-99, the Nuisance Clauses and
those relating to unsound food.
On the question as to the extent of pollution caused by London sewage,
your Medical Officer expressed his opinion that on the practical question of
danger to the public health the outfall at Barking was in no way comparable
with the local pollution in the vicinity *of Southend ; that, in fact, sewage acts
prejudicially in proportion to the vicinit+y of the outfall to the shellfish beds.
That the proper treatment of sewage would tend to greatly minimise the
danger, and that if a sewage effluent were produced chemically pure and
bacteriologically freer from organisms generally than crude sewage, the
danger would be diminished proportionately.
On the subject of the constitution of dangerous pollution, although this
might be defined as the extent to which it was shown bacteriologically that
pollution existed, yet the actual extent of pollution taking place by personal
observation must also at the same time be considered.
That, eliminating local pollution, it was probable that no material danger
would accrue to shellfish at Southend from the effluent at Barking.
That the Corporation would be the best Authority to control the pollution of
the Estuary of the Thames, and that it would fulfil all the requirements
considered necessary in the case of a Rivers Board.