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were called, besides officials of the company, several independent
witnesses, who spoke to the term "tallow melting" as understood
by the trade. Four of these are representatives of firms carrying
on business both as oleo makers and tallow melters at Birkenhead,
which appears to be a main centre of that industry in England.
These witnesses, whose evidence appears to me to be important,
assent to the view that tallow melting is not applied to the
rendering of sweet fat for the purpose of manufacturing oleo.
For the purpose of ascertaining the meaning of tallow melting
under the Section, guidance is afforded by the list of businesses
which are there classed with tallow melting and subjected to the
same restrictions. They are the businesses of blood boiler, bone
boiler, manure manufacturer, knackers, as well as tallow melters,
and are classed as offensive trades. The Public Health Act
of 1848, Sub-section 64, provides that the business of blood
boiler, bone boiler, fellmonger, slaughterer of cattle, horses and
animals of any description, soap boiler, tallow melter, tripe boiler,
or other obnoxious and offensive businesses or trades shall not
be established in any district without the consent of the Local
Board of Health. Then comes the Public Health Act of 1875,
which by Section 112 prohibits the establishment in the district
of any urban authority without their consent in writing any
offensive trade—that is to say, the trade of soap boiler, bone
boiler, blood boiler, fellmonger, tripe boiler, or any other noxious
or offensive trade, business, or manufacture. It is to be observed
therefore, that the Public Health (London) Act of 1891 reproduces
with modifications the earlier enactments of restricting in populous
places the establishment anew of any offensive trade such as
tallow melting, which, as I understand, was an industry established
in England at the time of the 1891 Act, as carried on by