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licensed premises. The number of slaughter-houses in the
metropolis, as a whole, has undergone a considerable diminution
; viz., from 1,500 in 1874, to 411 in 1899. In the report
for 1898 (pp. 98-102), I dealt with the subject of "Abattoirs
versus Private Slaughter-houses," in connection with an
abortive attempt by the Public Health Committee of the
County Council to substitute public for private slaughterhouses.
The report of the Committee (dated 21st July, 1898),
containing the recommendation, was shelved by the Council
on a motion to proceed to the next business ; to my regret,
as an advocate for nearly 30 years of public abattoirs.
LICENSED COW-HOUSES.
Four premises were licensed by the County Council, in
October, to be used as cow-houses; three in North Kensington,
and one in South Kensington. The names of the
licensees, and the localities of the premises, are set out in
Table XII. (appendix). The several premises are regularly
visited by the sanitary inspectors, and, as usual, were inspected,
in July, by the sanitary committee, whose report is printed in
the minutes of your Vestry for July 26th, page 357. There
were only 14 cows in the sheds: not many years ago there
were 28 sheds, containing about 500 cows. There has been
a considerable reduction in the number of cow-houses in the
metropolis, as a whole, viz., from 1,044 in 1880, to 331 in 1899.
The County Council have intimated to cowkeepers that
the public health committee are of opinion that in the case of
premises newly licensed, the recommendation of the Royal
Commission on tuberculosis that no cow-shed should
be erected within 100 feet of a dwelling-house, should be
observed. The Council, can, of course, enforce this view.