BAD EGGS.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 154, 10 March 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

BAD EGGS.

SOME' SMELL,IX BERMONDSEY. There weie many laughs in Mr Jusriice Darling's Court in the course of the hearing of a special jury action brought by a coffee-house keeper, formerly carry jig «n business at Ber- . Eiondsey Wall, Bermoadsey, London, S.E., who sued the Btrmondsey Borough Coucil for loss sustaining in cardrying on liis business owing to an alleged nuisance caused at the Councils' factory for the destruction of rotten ■eggs near his shop. The plaintiff also -applied for an injunction. The plaintiff, in the witness-bos, de-j-Tibed the egg destructor as a sort <>f mangle. The contents of the shells ran .down a sewer and sonic of the mo'sture ran outside his place. Mr Givcen: Were they rotten eggs? From .the appearance of them I should say they were doubly rotten sir. His takings were previously to closing JO9 to £9 10s per week, and the profits about £3. He could read, but could aiot write. Mr .Justice Darling: Were you ''brought up in Bermondsev? —Yes, sir. There is a largo school in Bermondgpv, a Board school, in East Lane. How did you manage not to go to it? —I didn't do much schooling. I thought it was compulsory —I was at East I.alio six years, in the first standard. and they could not shift me. 1 •could not learn anything. His Lordship: I don't know whether tou have seen this school, Mr Giveen. ■lt is about the size of Eton. It is a ■triumph to have been in one standard for six years. TWENTY-FIVE Ml LLION, Mr Hewart, K.C. : Are you aware lihat 2-3 i million rotten eggs were destroyed by the Council in the last lew months? His Lordship i We are getting far from the first standard. Jn reply to further questions, the .•witness said there were other ways of getting rid of the eggs. ' Mr Hev. art: There is a political truce •just now! Mr Penrcey, licensee of the Bunch ■ of Grapes Hotel at Bermondsey, said he prepared a petition against the nuisance. but did not present it. Mr .Justice Darling: I used to represent the constituency next door, and -I am sure they would come to me. (Laughter.) * . 3 Witness: Do you mean the eggs, s.r. (Jjoud laughter, m which lvs Lordship -joined.) His Lordship: No, Mr Pearcey; 1 ?neaun Deptford. (Laughter.) BAD FOR ZEPPELINS. "The witness said that since the nuisance had been complained of the Council had erected what he thought was an exhaust pipe. His Lordship: That will be bad for £he Witness: It was suggested that they should start breaking the eggs when the Zeppelins came! Mr Giveen: Does the smell enter your "house? —Y'es. Eau de Cologne? (Laughter.) His Lordship: Cologne was more celebrated for its bad smells than ever Bermondsey was. Anjpng other witnesses called was a i transport pilot, who said it would have been easy to get barges to take the eggs down the river. His Lordship: You might paint the barges like a hospital ship and then ihey might be torpedoed. (Laughter.) Beijamin Bradshaw, labourer, Deptiord, said he ceased to use plaintiffs' shop owing to the bad smell. Mr Gibbons: Was it a bad smell I cannot name it. (Laughter.) His' Lordship: If there is anything you would like to say about it don t jmind us. (Laughter.) Another witness said the smell was u enough to knock a dog down." EGG TRADE CENTRE. Mr Hewart, for the defence, said ißormondsey was the centre of the egg trade in the whole of Great Britain. Ships brought the eggs from Russia, france and Italy. Owing to the delay jn shipment through the war, the number of bad eggs to be dealt with had largely increased. There were as many as ten thousand a day sometimes. The Council tried to get barges to take the eggs down the river and deposit them on vacant land, but there was an insuperable difficulty in getting barges, and an apparatus was utilised for dealing with the eggs. On February 24th 334,000 eggs had to be dealt with and on the following day there were 51 1 6.000 eggs. Nowhere in the borough was there a locality more suitable for dealing with the eggs, and -every effort was made to minimise the nuisance. The eggs destroyed in eight months totalled 25,325.000.