Purer Rivers A newly exaggerated form of river pollution has
been disclosed in the neighbourhood of Birmingham. The water was so ill-treated by one industrial output that it became unfit for use in another industry. However, there are signs of a greater respect for the purity of our streams. Immense service, not only to the Lea, but to the cause in general, has been rendered by the injunction secured by Lord Brocket against the town of Luton, from which the sewage had completely destroyed all river life iri the Lea, once populous with all manner of fish, fine as well as coarse, trout as well as dace, water snails as well as crayfish, not to mention sticklebacks and mayfly, both of which abounded. There is now a reasonable hope that here, as elsewhere, the sewage will be rendered harmless before it is released into the stream. The pollution has affected many more people than fishermen. Farmers have suffered, for the water, they held, was dangerous to drink, and many birds, pre- viously frequent, had disappeared, including dabchick, heron and king- fisher.
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