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208
stables.† The second point is that Messrs. Angus & Co. have appl ie
to the Local Government Board on account of the failure of the
Local Authority, as they express it, to obtain " immediate remedy " of
the alleged nuisance. In fact, the first letter that we received on the
matter (April 4, 1902) concluded with the following words : "We beg
" to inform you that failing its [the alleged nuisance] immediate
" remedy, we purpose taking the matter up with the Local Government
" Board. We are sorry to have to go past you in this matter, but we
" are quite determined to have it abolished as it is highly dangerous
" to health, and it is impossible for us to tolerate it any longer."
In consequence of this complaint I visited these stables early in
April, 1902, and made a full enquiry into the whole subject. From
that time to the present (i.e., 15 months) I have given much attention
and consideration to the matter, and with a view of satisfying ourselves
as to the manner in which these premises were maintained
from a sanitary point of view, we have made careful inspection on 225
separate occasions during the 15 months. [From July, 1903, to the end
of the year, 126 more inspections were made.] It will be admitted that
this has given us some opportunity for a study of the actual facts of
the case. The chief of these facts it is now my duty to submit to the
Board.
The 750 horses are stalled on various floors. The stalls are limewhited
periodically, and throughout the year lime-whiting is being
carried out, so that it may be said that each stall is lime-whited about
once a month. This cleansing is carried out with a disinfectant
solution of corrosive sublimate and lime wash. The floors of the
stables are properly paved and well drained. On the ground floors
the paving is mostly cobbled stones, but the other floors are mainly
concreted and serrated, though in parts laid with blue Staffordshire
bricks. We have never found accumulation of manure in any of the
stables, as all such refuse is at once cleared away to the "shoot," and
falls into the receptacles below, on the ground floor. Disinfectant
(chloride of lime) is placed upon the floor daily, and a solution of
disinfectant is hosed upon the floors periodically and regularly flushed
†On at least one occasion the complainants stated that actual illness was
produced in some of their employees by the effluvia. I have not deemed it my
duty to enter into the question as to whether or not such effluvia can or does
produce illness, or is dangerous to the health, nor have I obtained any evidence
as to the cases of illness referred to. I assume that is not a point upon which
the Board desires me to report.