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ADMINISTRATION.
Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops.
During 1897 the Council's inspectors made 21,284 inspections of dairies and milkshops. In
26 instances legal proceedings were instituted under the Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order,
and penalties amounting to £71 16s. 6d. were imposed by the magistrates. In 230 instances cases of
infectious disease occurred at registered milkshop premises and dealt with by the Council's inspectors,
the numbers of cases of each disease being 123 of scarlet fever, 82 of diphtheria, 15 of enteric fever,
3 of erysipelas, 1 of puerperal fever and 6 of measles. In all cases the inspectors visited the premises
with a view to ensuring the adoption of measures to prevent contamination of the milk. The number
of applications for renewal of existing licences to cowsheds was 379, of which 374 were granted.
Daring the year the Public Health Committee had under consideration the need of amended regulations
which, inter alia, proposed to prevent the sale of tuberculous milk. The Local Government Board
was communicated with, and it was decided to postpone the farther consideration of the subject until
the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis had reported.
Offensive businesses.
During 1897 the Council's inspectors made 5,688 inspections of premises upon which offensive
businesses were carried on, including that of a slaughterer of cattle. In 9 instances legal proceedings
were instituted, and in 6 cases penalties were imposed by the magistrates amounting in the aggregate
to £577 3s. In the case of Messrs. Bone and Oak, who were convicted on two occasions for establishing
anew the business of a knacker, fines amounting to £528 were imposed and £42 costs. In
reference to these proceedings the Public Health Committee presented the following report to the
Council on the 25th January, 1898.
On 9th February last we reported to the Council that proceedings had been taken against Messrs.
Bone and Oak, horse slaughterers, of Plaistow, for illegally carrying on the business of a knacker at 107,
Old Kent-road, Borough. The evidence disclosed circumstances of great cruelty, and after a protracted
hearing the magistrate fined each of the two defendants £6 a day for 12 days i.e., £72, and £10 10s. costs
each, and in default he sentenced them to two months' imprisonment. The money was paid.
It was subsequently reported to us that the same premises were still being used illegally as a place
for slaughtering horses, under the same circumstances of cruelty as before, and we accordingly instructed
the solicitor to take further proceedings against Messrs. Bone and Oak, and also to oppose the renewal
of their licence as horse slaughterers at Plaistow. The solicitor took out two summonses against each
defendant, one for days on which actual killing could be proved, and the other for days on which actual
killing could not be proved, with the object of getting a decision that it is not necessary to prove actual
killing in order to prove the carrying on of a knacker's business. The case was heard at the Southwark
police-court by Mr. Penwick on 2nd, 8th and 15th December, Mr. Horace Avory appearing for the
Council, and the defendants being represented by their solicitor. In the result, Mr. Fenwick convicted
each defendant on both summonses, and fined each of them £192 with £10 10s. costs, £405 in all.
The solicitor has also under our instructions taken certain steps as to opposing the renewal of the
licence at Plaistow granted to Messrs. Bone and Oak by the Corporation of West Ham, and we propose
to report the result of this action to the Council in due course.
The number of applications for renewal of slaughterhouse licences was 460, of which 456 were
granted. The number of applications for renewal of licences to knackers' yards was 5, all of which
were Granted.