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TRANSMIGRANTS.
8. Number of Certificates of the cleansing of verminous transmigrants given by the Medical Inspector of
Aliens to the Immigration Officer —
9. Number of Medical Certificates in respect of transmigrants suffering from Trachoma, Favus, &c., given
to the Immigration Officer (Trachoma 1, Scabies 4, Varicella 3, Measles 11, Dysentery 3, Pediculosis 1) 23
PARTICULARS RELATING TO ALIEN TRAFFIC.
10. Total number of passenger vessels carrying Aliens which arrived during the year 1,167
Number of passenger vessels dealt with by the Medical Inspector of Aliens 1,167
11. Total number of cargo vessels carrying Alien passengers which arrived during the year 208
Number of cargo vessels dealt with by the Medical Inspector of Aliens 208
12. Any other vessels in connection with which the Medical Inspector has had to take action in regard to
Aliens —
GRAVESEND SEWAGE DISPOSAL WORKS—PUBLIC INQUIRY.
In accordance with the Resolution of your Worshipful Committee, the Public
Inquiry held at the Town Hall, Gravesend, into an application for sanction to borrow
£2,000 for extension of the Gravesend Sewage Works, was attended by your Medical
Officer and Mr. Earle, of the City Solicitor's Department, on 12th February, 1929.
Your Medical Officer had an opportunity of visiting the Sewage Works. The
method of treatment is, briefly, as follows: The crude sewage, after screening,
passes into a series of settling or sedimentation tanks, through which it takes some
12 or 13 hours to flow. The liquid effluent from these tanks passes into the River
without further treatment. The sludge which collects in the tanks is periodically run
off into drying beds, of which there are six. These beds are under-drained, and
drying of the sludge takes place partly by the draining off of the liquid and partly by
evaporation. The rapidity of drying depends, of course, on weather conditions.
The dried sludge is dug out and tipped in a dump at the Eastern end of the works.
At certain seasons of the year farmers cart the dried sludge away for manure, but
at other times there is a large accumulation on the dump.
The quiescent sludge on the beds does not give rise to much smell, but when it
is being dug out and tipped on the dump a stench arises. The drier the sludge the less
the smell. At the present time the volume of sewage is so great in proportion to the
area of the beds that emptying is necessary before the sludge has dried sufficiently,
and the object of the Loan is to construct six more drying beds similar in size to the
existing ones. Fear was expressed that the doubling of the area of sludge exposed
would increase the nuisance from smell. But it was contended that the principal
nuisance arose from the emptying of imperfectly dried beds, and that the addition
of six more beds, by making more satisfactory drying possible, and by reducing the
frequency of emptying, would tend to reduce the nuisance. Mr. A. J. Martin, an
engineer of great experience in sewage disposal, who appeared on behalf the Strood
Rural District Council, opposing the application, said that, in his opinion, the addition
of further sludge-drying beds could not increase, and would probably to some extent
decrease, the existing nuisance, but considered that the provision of sludge-digestion
tanks would have been a more satisfactory method of treatment.
The Inspector of the Ministry of Health appointed to hold the Inquiry noted the
complaints of your Representatives, but it appears that the present proposals cannot
make matters any worse, and may result in some improvement. It was revealed that,
within about twelve months' time, as more and more of the town of Gravesend is
taken off the cesspool system and put on to the sewage system, the Corporation of the
Borough will have to consider the whole question of their Sewage Disposal Works,
which are only designed to deal with the sewage of a population of 20,000, whereas
the population of Gravesend is approximately 32,000. They will then need a further
Loan, and your Worshipful Committee will be able to press for the installation of
a method of treatment which will not cause nuisance to residents in the vicinity.