HH62/1/CLACKM/5

Transcription

[Page] 4

TABLE SHEWING NUMBER OF HOUSES IN EACH PARISH, POPULA-
TION, AND NUMBER OF PERSONS PER HOUSE
1881.

[table inserted]

TABLE SHEWING PARISHES AND PARTS OF PARISHES IN COUNTY,
ACREAGE, ROOMS, AND PERSONS TO ROOM WITH ONE
OR MORE WINDOWS.
1881.

[table inserted]

These figures will doubtless be found not to agree with those which
will be ascertained from the Census Returns of 1891, but at the same
time they enable us to judge of the relative degrees of persons to room
in the different parishes.
In the remainder of this Report, the arrangement followed will be
that prescribed by the Board of Supervision for District Medical Officers'
Reports.

GENERAL SANITARY STATE OF THE COUNTY, AND MEASURES
WHICH SHOULD BE ADOPTED FOR ITS IMPROVEMENT.

In this report it will be necessary to separate references to Burghal
areas, which come under the jurisdiction of Police Commissioners, from
District areas, which come under the County Council as Local Authority.
It will be understood that the Sanitary condition of Burghs is generally
better than that of rural districts, chiefly on account of the greater
powers that Burgh Local Authorities have under the General Police Act.
In the County of Clackmannan there are now four Police Burghs - Alva
having been transferred by the Boundaries Commission into Clack-

[Page] 5

mannanshire, and the town of Dollar having adopted the Police Act
in 1891.

BURGH OF ALLOA.

The Burgh of Alloa, being the largest of the four, entitles it to first
consideration. The general Sanitary condition of the town, as far as I
have been able to ascertain in my short tenure of office, is very good.
The water supply, formerly abundant for all purposes, having, by the
increasing population and extension of trades, become insufficient, it was
necessary to apply to Parliament for further powers to enable the Com-
missioners to provide an additional supply, and to make and maintain
new and additional water works. By the Alloa Water Act of 1891
these powers have been given. The sewerage system has been con-
structed on good principles, and the outfall sewers discharge into the
Forth. In many cases there is not proper disconnection between house
drains and the main sewers, and waste pipes, soil and drain water con-
ductors lead into the sewer without any break in their continuity.
These defects are serious ones, and should be removed wherever they
occur.
In some parts of the Burgh, old defective privies are still in use,
but arrangements are being made to have these substituted by some
form of water carriage system.

SPECIAL ENQUIRIES MADE.

Complaints having been made that the Glass Works now and again
emitted such noxious effuvia as to interfere with the comfort, if not the
health of the inhabitants, it was remitted to me to enquire into the
matter and report to the Commissioners. I accordingly made frequent
visits to the Glass Works, and also visited similar works in Glasgow, in
order to ascertain how the offence was produced, and how it might be
obviated. The whole matter was fully reported to the Burgh Commis-
sioners, and my suggestions were submitted to the Manager, who was
most anxious that all ground for complaint might be removed. I also
had the benefit of discussing the subject with Mr Falconer King, Edin-
burgh, who was engaged by the Glass Works Company to advise them
in the matter. I am sorry, however, to have to report that all cause for
complaint has not yet been removed, although the smells complained of
do not appear to continue so long or to be so offensive as formerly.

ENQUIRIES INTO SMOKE NUISANCE.

The subject of smoke nuisance was also remitted to me for con-
sideration and report, and accordingly I visited all the works and trades
in the Burgh and enquired into the manners of stoking, working of
furnaces, &c. The whole subject of smoke consumption and abatement
is an exceedingly difficult one to deal with, and meantime I have not
sent in any special report. A great deal can be done to abate smoke by
steady stoking in those cases where flue accommodation is sufficient.
A great many different methods of dealing with the emission of black