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87
By the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1908,
Section 5, however, the Metropolitan Borough Councils were empowered
to remove from the register kept by them, of persons from
time to time carrying on in their district the trade of cow-keepers,
dairymen, or purveyors of milk; or to refuse to enter upon the
register the name of any person carrying, or proposing to carry on,
the trade of dairyman or purveyor of milk upon premises which
are, in the opinion of the Sanitary Authority, for any reason unsuitable
for the sale of milk therein.
Since the coming into force of this Section, the rules with regard
to registration have been made much more stringent, and no name
has been placed on the register until the shop has been found to
be suitable, not only as regards construction, but also as regards
the business carried on.
The Act was passed in August, 1908, and between that time and
the end of the year, 18 applications were made. In practically
all of these cases registration was refused, in the first instance,
on the ground that the premises were unsuitable. In eight
instances, alterations having been made, the names of the applicants
were put on the register. The remaining 10 were refused
registration.
Periodical inspections of milk shops, to the number of 386, have
been made by the Inspectors, and 50 sanitary notices have been
served. Careful watch has been kept with a view to enforcing the
carrying out of the requirements of the Council with regard to
the keeping of milk pans covered. In this respect there seems to
be considerable improvement, and warnings issued to dealers found
to be neglectful of the precaution generally lead to improvement.
It is to be hoped that the increased stringency in connection with
the registration will lead to a reduction in the number of small
general shop-keepers who retail milk along with other articles. The
number of articles stocked is usually very large, and the premises
are generally over-crowded, and difficult to keep clean. The majority
of these persons admit that the quantity of milk sold is exceedingly
small, but as it is usual for customers to purchase it at the same
time as such articles as tea, sugar, bread, etc., they hesitate to give
up the practice. Undoubtedly it would be a hardship for the small