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112
by these proceedings, as the vans collect in, and travel through,
districts adjoining East Ham; but as most of the persons
against whom injunctions were granted have left the business,
the Council may in the near future have to reconsider the
question.
Collection of House Refuse.—During the year 1910, 12,917
loads of House Refuse were collected from houses in the
Borough. The work of collecting house refuse has been vested
in the Public Health Department for many years. There are
26 men, including the foreman, engaged; 16 are Contractor's
and 9 the Council's workmen.
The collection is by the weekly system. Occupiers are
requested to place the dust receptacles in a convenient position
ready for the dustman on the day of collection. The Council
has a Bye-law imposing this obligation on the occupier, which
I am pleased to report it has never been necessary to enforce
as the Burgesses willingly co-operate in facilitating the work by
placing the dust bin ready for the dustman on the day of
collection.
The whole of the refuse is conveyed to the Council's
Destructor, where it is used for generating steam for pumping
purposes in connection with the sewage works.
The three years' contract with the present contractor
expires this year, and as it was the first contract of its kind in
this district it is with some satisfaction that one reviews its
working. The payment for contracting prior to 1908 was is. per
hour for horse and driver. It can be readily appreciated that
the slower the horses moved the more shillings could be earned,
but this go-as-you-please style did not facilitate the collection
of dust, and eventually resulted in bringing about the present
method.
The principle of the existing contract is that the contractor
has for a specific sum to provide as many horses and drivers as
shall be found necessary to collect the refuse from all premises
in the Borough once in every week, the Council to furnish as
many vans as required and to employ fillers as may be found
necessary, the work to commence and finish at stated hours.