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huge lire of wood shavings on the open ground a few yards
from the fence, and this is kept going from 7.30 a.m. until
late at night. Apart from the noise of the machinery, which
we are unfortunately compelled to put up with, you will
appreciate the nuisance the whole road is subjected to by this
intolerable state of affairs."
A later letter complained:—
“There has been erected a dust collecting plant just at
the back of my garden. There is a leakage from the funnel
over the shed of this plant, and the saw-dust is collecting on
this shed and is being blown all over my garden, as well as
in the neighbouring gardens, making our gardens look like a
refuse heap. It is impossible to allow the children to go out
into the garden because of this nuisance. The saw-dust is
blowing all over the place and some has even been deposited
on the front lawn of the house. Under the circumstances it
will be very inconvenient to enjoy the privileges of a garden
in the coming season, if this trouble is allowed to be continued.''
Complaints of various kinds continued as regards this work,
the owners abating some nuisances, other nuisances of a different
nature arose and received attention, whilst others continued because
no powers for enforcing abatement existed. The Public Health
Department endeavoured as far as possible to obtain amelioration
of these conditions, which should never have been permitted to
arise, and without examination of the records it is difficult to
appreciate the trouble and waste of time which was occasioned.
Complaints which could not be dealt with by the sanitary
authority may be summarised as arising from the following causes:—
Noise.—The nuisance caused to persons with children in such
a quarter as Leadale Road, where wood was sawed until a late
hour of night in works built thirty-five feet from the houses, may be
almost intolerable.
Dust.—This gave rise to much complaint and abiding trouble
to neighbours.
Smoke.—Smoke, if not black, or if only intermittent or during
certain processes, gave rise to almost insurmountable difficulties.
Unpleasant Odours.—Smell from engines, or soot, or from
processes of manufacture, gave very real trouble to neighbours,
without coming within the scope of the Public Health Acts.
All the above difficulties arose from time to time, even as
regards the timber works mentioned above, and complaints were
constantly recurring of one or the other unpleasantnesses from all
over the borough.