[Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Chatham Borough.

  • Chatham (Kent, England). Borough Council.
Date:
1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Credit: [Report 1913] / Medical Officer of Health, Chatham Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/66 (page 17)
    Section ii, Public Health Amendment Act, 1890, delines Ash- pits ” as including ashtubs or other receptacle, and in our Local Byelaws, Xo. 80, on page 43—the kind and size of receptacle is defined. It is clear that Councils possess the legal powers to enforce their vdshes in this matter, but there are certain difficulties in this connection which interfere with the application of these powers, l)Ut on which f am of opinion a satisfactory compromise is possilile. The truth is that neither owmers nor occupiers are willing to incur the small expenditure entailed by the provision of covered bins, whilst both are unanimous in their condemnation of the present form of storage. There is thus a divergence of opinion on the question of liability, but there can lie no difference of opinion on the necessity of safeguarding the public health. The present method is indefensible, and in my judgment is at once a nuisani'e and dangerous to health, and the diffusion of knowledge respecting the habits of the common fly, and its influence on the causation of disease, gives additional emphasis, to this opinion. The great objection of the owmers arises from the portability of the receptacles, and their conse(]uent liability to damage and theft, and if it can be substantiated, this olijection, and what it entails in probable loss, is a weighty one. It is the invariable custom in the more highly rented houses for the occupier to provide the receptacle, and why shonld he not provide it in houses of a, lesser rental ? The exception to this rule would be in the class of dwelling where there is a common occupation of the yard, and obviously in cases of this description, one could not reasonably expect every tenant tO' have his own ashbin. In these instances the owner should provide one or more suitable- large ashbins, and more especially is this nec'essary, as there are manv places entirely without provision for ashes and other refuse. TVnother point in connection with the subject is this. When we consider the huge quantities of house refuse collec'ted in the district, and remember that a very large part of it is combustible, oaie wonders that householders do- not themselves liurn some of it. A byelaw com- pelling occupiers to burn all comlmstible refuse would materially reduce the amount to be collected, and its effect would result in a lowering of the rates. Probably this is the only reason which would induce many of them tO' take the trouble. My recommendations to the Council may lie thus summarised : — 1. The prevailing neglect of the above matters should no longer be ignored. 2. Should insist on the provision of suitable covered receptacles.