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157
To cover the cost of the 596 connections to the buildings set forth above,
different sums, amounting to £1,082 15s. 0d., have been passed over to the
accountant through this Department.
For unstopping drains 8 different sums, amounting to £37 10s. 0d., have
been passed over to the Accountant.
DUST.
The disposal of the dust of Loudon is probably one of the most important
and troublesome questions which have to come under the consideration of
the various Vestries and District Boards.
On the 7th October, 1891, a Sub.Committee was appointed to consider it
with reference to this Parish, a great number of schemes were considered,
and the works of other Boards and Vestries viewed.
No definite conclusion has yet boon arrived at, but the general feeling
seems to be favourable to the purchase of some of the waste low lying land
adjoining the River, about Barking, and barging the dust to it.
On the 1st of March, 1892, I made a long report rather favourable to the
purchase of 25 acres of land which was offered to the Vestry, at £160 per
acre, but the opportunity of purchasing it at that price was allowed to slip.
The Vestry have also had under consideration the question of buying
some land in the Parish, adjoining the River, suitable for a wharf, but have
' not yet come to any definite conclusion, and I strongly caution the Vestry
against delaying this matter, as many sites which are suitable, and can now
be obtained at moderate prices, will soon be acquired by private persons.
The Vestry have already lost the chance of buying some of the most
favourable sites.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT AND REMOVAL OF REFUSE.
The Public Health Act (London), 1891, has caused a very important
alteration to be made in the collection of the dust in London. Section 30,
makes it the duty of the Sanitary Authority “to secure the due removal of
house refuse, &c.,” “at proper periods,” and imposes (in sub.section 2) a
penalty of £20 on a Sanitary Authority for failing to comply with this
obligation. It further provides (in sub.section 3) that if any person in the
employ of the Authority, demands any fee or gratuity for the removal of
refuse he shall be liable to a fine of 20s. In order to conform with these
requisitions the Parish has been divided into six districts, and each district
is now, as far as possible being cleared weekly on a certain day in the week.
It is not an easy matter to warrant that these days shall be strictly
adhered to, because the work of the men is interrupted when it rains persistently
and heavy snow falls. It is also curious to note how the quantity
of house refuse diminishes in the summer and increases in the winter, so
that the number of gangs of dustmen employed, have to be varied in order
to conform to the days fixed for the clearance of the dust in the various
districts.