From the archives: Industrial smoke and fumes, 21 May, 1937

THE establishment of more regional committees of local authorities with greater power to deal with smoke abatement is recommended by the Chief Inspector of Alkali and Other Works in his annual report which, together with the report for Scotland, was issued last night.

“Much of the good work performed in the cities is lost by reason of pollution having its source outside,” says the English report. There can be little doubt that in recent years there has been some abatement of domestic smoke owing to the increasing use of gas, electricity and solid smokeless fuels. As regards industrial smoke, there has been “deplorably little progress”, except in those districts where gas and electricity are available at a price which permits of their economic use in industry. In a separate report, the Chief Inspector for Scotland says that there has been further all-round recovery in Scottish trade during 1936.

• archive.scotsman.com