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inhabited dwellings. The regulation that no cowshed shall
be newly erected if any part thereof shall be within twenty
feet of a house has been rigorously enforced, and, as I
believe, with good results. The amount of work in carrying
out the inspections and deciding about the regulations, and
their application to particular premises, may be judged of by
the fact that the View Committee held 15 meetings during
the year, and that I not only accompanied them in all
their inspections, but visited several of the places on other
occasions.
During the year complaints have been made to me
respecting the discharge of black smoke from the chimnies
of furnaces, and in all cases it was found that a proper
smoke consuming apparatus was not fitted to the fire place
or furnace. One case was that of an upright boiler, used for
working a small steam engine; another where six small
furnaces were used in a chemical manufactory, and others
of a similar character. In all instances the nuisance was
abated by the addition of a proper apparatus to the furnaces,
and the use of proper fuel. I also visited several places where
it was proposed to newly establish offensive businesses, and
succeeded in inducing the persons to go elsewhere, as I do
not think that a district like Hackney should have these
trades introduced amongst the inhabitants.
Several complaints were also received during the year
respecting the burning of clay for ballast in the vicinity of
Bethune Road, Stoke Newington. I paid several visits to
the spot, and induced the builders to discontinue the practice
after the heaps then burning were completed. I also made
a special examination of the drainage of the houses in this
road, and found some slight defects, which were altered
so as no longer to be an annoyance. I have also given
much consideration and time to the subject of the offensive
smell arising from the Wick Eoad Sewer.
The number of houses occupied by the poorer classes,