SMOKE NUISANCE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 159, 31 March 1922, Page 6

SMOKE NUISANCE

FUMES, GRIME AND SPARKS HOUSEHOLDERS COMPLAIN ' AGAINST FACTORY Serious complaints about a smoke nuisance, alleged to be caused by the brick works in Rolloston Street, were mad© to the City Council last night by a deputation of residents from Bid-' well, Wallace, Hargreaves, and Wright Streets. Mr. R. Fleming said that Messrs. Murphy’s pipe works in Rolleston Street wore situated in a hollow, and they were surrounded by private residences., There were four large chimneys at the works, and when they were all in full blast the nuisance was intolerable, for great clouds of black smuts and burning sparks were belched forth. Tho houses in the locality bore evidence as to the existence of the nuisance. Often a layer of smut particles 'was to bo seen on the garden paths. The very trees and plants•—those who were hardy enough to survive—had a grimy covering, and they could not be handled without tho hands becoming blackened. The dr.ying of clothes was a nightmare to housewives'. Infants put outside to sleep had to breathe this grime-laden atmosphere. Frequently, also, sparks from the works chimneys burned holes in clothes hanging out to dry, and even in clothes being worn. The stacks should, be three times as high, and they should also be fitted with smoke consumers, or some other mechanical contrivance to mitigate the. nuisance. What should really be done was to remove the works from such a« populous neighbourhood. It was an anomaly when such importance was attached to the health of the community, that any factory should be allowed to pollute a residential area as these chimneys did. The residents would be glad if the council would do something to give them relief from a nuisance which they had suffered for years. ' Mr. St. George said that the fumes from the chimneys caused great damage in the more rapid deterioration of iron roofs and the staining of paint. The smoke was injurious to persons frith weak lungs, and made it impossible for them to leave windows open, evon at night. Councillor Luckie: .Have the residents taken legal advice as to their rights and .remedies against Murphys? Mr. Fleming: No; wo have not. We pamo together and we decided that first of all we would come to the council. ’ If the council will do nothing, we will take legal advice and apply for an injunction. We did not want to make ourselves objectionable to the persons concerned at once, but we are determined that the nuisance shall be stopped somehow or other. We have come to the council first. Councillor Luckie: I suppose the same nuisance has been in existence for 30 years? Mr. Fleming: I believe so. I understand that the matter ■ was taken up and complaint made to the council years ago, but that the then council did nothing.! w Councillor Luckie: That is not correct. The then council attempted to support you.' but was defeated. Mr. Fleming: I was not aware of that. . i Councillor Fraser: Would the deputation be satisfied with an arrangement for the installation of smoke consumers ? ' 5 . Mr. Fleming: If they could be effective. What we want is an abatement of the smoke nuisance. The Mayor (Mr. R. A. Wright) said that the question raised was one of great difficulty. He believed that it had been before the council on more than one occasion, but he did not think the council had power, unless it was under recent legislation, to deal with such a nuisance However, tho city solicitor would report upon the matter, and the council would consider it carefully. When the council discussed later what the deputation had said, Councillor Luckie insisted that the members of the delegation should obtain advice on the question whether they had a legal remedy. The council should not take sides on the question. _ The nuisance was “not a public nuisance” ; it was merely a local nuisance. Councillor Fraser said that the people whom the deputation- represented had a genuine grievance. The city would have to adopt some policy with regard to the smoke t nuisance. Some of the largest municipal corporations in the world had done so. The Mayor that the case was' one for tho Courts. The Finance Committee was asked to furnish a report.