Published in Windlesora 15 (1997)
© WLHG
The present system of collecting the refuse from the various premises in the town is in my opinion very unsatisfactory and at the same time unnecessarily expensive. The number of journeys made by each horse, cart and man to the refuse tip is three per day, the cost being at the rate of 3s 4d per load. It must be taken into consideration the distance of the tip from the Borough, the nuisance arising therefore and the little control one obtains over the men going to and from the tip and whilst at the place. These things amongst others show the real necessity there is for some other means of dealing with the refuse. The large cost of getting rid of each load of refuse is also attributable to the method of collection. Of course you are aware I refer to the men having to go either through the houses or around them to get at the refuse. The better class houses are usually accommodated with an ashpit of some kind or other, principally open to the sun and rain, the number of covered ashpits being at a discount. When we come to the cottage property we find a large number of the houses are devoid of ashpits, the refuse generally being thrown about the garden at the will of the occupiers.
“Now let us examine the procedure of emptying the ashpits at the better class of houses. After obtaining admission the men find the usual house refuse consisting of ashes, decaying vegetable remnants, bins, glass, old clothes and numerous other articles that have found a resting place in the pit. Should the weather be hot the whole mass is gradually tending towards putrefaction set up by the heat and vegetable matter. If instead of the sun the rain has partly filled up the pit, we have more or less a filthy unsavoury composition saturated with water, sometimes so bad that the dustmen themselves are almost unable to carry out their duties. This refuse has often to be carried through the house for the number of houses with back or side entrances to the rear are few in proportion.
‘We will now consider the circumstances of those houses which possess no dust bins or ashpits. Here the debris being scattered in various places, the men have to gather the refuse up and very often pick up more that they should do, this refuse finally being carried through the house.
“The carriage of the refuse through the houses causes complaints to arise. The men are accused of spilling the stuff all over the floors and through the passages, of making the curtains dirty and tearing them and of breaking the glass of the passage lamps. Add to this the amount of time spent by the men in sweeping up yards, shaking carpets, having a drink and a chat with the women and servants, we get some idea of the existing state of affairs, which I consider requires some improvement and alteration.
“One means of remedying this evil to a large extent may be attempted. At all those houses, where at the present time there is no proper ashpit, the owner should be called upon to provide a receptacle for the refuse – a galvanized iron bin with handles and cover of a certain size to be specified.
“From conversations I have already had with several of the people living in some of the streets, I feel sure there would be no difficulty in getting the boxes placed on the edge of the footpath on those days of the week on which the refuse is collected. The whole of the householders may not comply at once, but by degrees quite three fifths of the town’s refuse might be gathered up in this manner.
“Another question for consideration is the quantity of garden and trade refuse taken away by the Corporation carts. Owing to the complaint made by those residing near the Dedworth tip and acting on the suggestions of this to the Ham Fields sewage farm, where acting on the orders of the Chairman of the Health Committee, the stuff is being burnt. Today the butchers are making application to have the bad meat entrails and other offensive matter taken from their premises. All this is certainly trade refuse, and I am of opinion that some sort of charge should be made for collecting and carting it away. The same remark applies to the drapers, grocers and other tradesmen in the town. A number of shop keepers sweep their refuse off the shop floor into the roadway and although they have been asked not to do so and even written to, the practice is still persisted in.”
Thomas Vincent Davison
Inspector of Weights and Measures, Surveyor and Inspector
2 Richmond Villas, Grove Road, Windsor
4th August 1897
Ventus Morbidus
In the days when documents were written in Latin, the officials or clerks had to do their own translations. One such clerk did not know the correct Latin word for Windsor so he translated it literally as Ventus Morbidus. Ventus means wind and morbidus means diseased, sickly or unwholesome.
Windsor Local History Group 