London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Fulham 1888
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Fulham]
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The profit will be as follows:—
| The value of the Sand and Ballast, say only 12,000 cube yardsat Is. 6d. to allow for removal of other soil (The Vestry pays 3s. for Sand and 2s. for Ballast | 900 | 0 | 0 |
| The saving of the present expenditure, viz: — 12,000 loads of Dust at Is. 6d. | 900 | 0 | 0 |
| 16,000 loads of Slop at 6d. | 400 | 0 | 0 |
| Total £2,200 | 0 | 0 | |
There may be some legal difficulties to be overcome in adopting this
method, cut it is one that appears to strongly commend itself.
dust collecting and wages of men.
In Dccembei, l888, I made a Report, of which the following are
extracts:—
Jones report states that " the men lose time owing to the collection "
" of the " tots,'' and tho carts waiting- for one another, also that no more "
loads are carried per day at the present time than when the shoots were "
" at a greater distance from the centre of the parish."
" The Committee probably do not know that the collection of the " tots "
"invariably causes an extra journey at the end of the day for one horse "
" from each gang to the Place where the " tots " are dispsed of "
The following table gives particulars in reference to other parishes: —
| parish. | Number of loads per annum. | Loads per horse per day. | Population | If paid per load | How much ? | Complaints per week. | Query ? "Tots" allowed. | REMARKS. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington | 40,000 | 3 in summer 4 iu winter | 180,000 | No. | 21s. per week. | 19½ | No. | Offenders fined. |
| Chelsea | 12,800 | 78,000 | Yes. | *2s.6d.per load of 3 cub. yards | 13 | No. | Paid to contractor. | |
| Hammersmith | 26,000 | 4 | 100,000 | Yes. | Is. 4d. | None. | Yes. | |
| Fulham | 12,000 | 3.659 | Over 80,000 | Yes. | Is. 6d. | 207 per mth. | Yes. | Size of cart Oft. 3in. by 3ft. l0in. by 3ft, |
One important matter iu tho Table, to which I beg to call the especial
attention of the Committee is that the price paid to the Contractor at
Chelsea is only 2s. 6d. per load of three yards, the Contractor finding men
and horses, whereas our carts only hold 2/. yards. The cost of one of our
loads is Is. 6d. for wages, and horse hire (at 8s. 6d. per horse per day less
man's wages, 4s.), at four loads a da}", Is. 1½ or a total of 2s.7½d
per load.
On the 29th June, 1886, I presented a report in which I shewed that
from March, 1886, to that date, 2901 loads were carted by 718 horses one
day each, or an average of over four loads per horse per day. the dust
was then tipped on the Bishop's Meadow, now that the shoot is more cential
four loads a day ought to be the minimum number.
Under the present system the men are divided in five gangs, each
consisting of two horses and three men, with an extra gang occasiona y.
These gangs work entirely separate districts, and, in my opinion, are too
much out of the sight of the Inspector to bo properly under his control.
The points submitted to the decision of the commiitee, weie
1. Shall "Totting " be abolished?
2. Shall the men be paid per load or weekly .