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94
"Appeals."—The recommendation on this subject will commend itself to the borough councils,
proposing as it does an application for authority—
"(ix.) Enabling the Council to expend money in defraying part or the whole of the
cost of any appeals, undertaken at the request of the Council, against decisions of police
magistrates dismissing summonses taken out by metropolitan borough councils, in
respect of infringements of the law relating to public health."
The Public Health Committee state that "in certain cases where proceedings instituted,
under the law relating to public health, by metropolitan borough councils, have been dismissed by
the magistrates, the borough councils have hesitated to appeal." Such decisions (it is added) are
"apt to discourage borough councils from taking proceedings in similar cases;" the Committee
therefore think it "very desirable that the County Council should be enabled to defray the whole,
or a part, of the cost of appeals in cases where, in the opinion of the Council, it is of importance, in
the interests of London, as a whole, that the decision of a higher court should be obtained."
The Borough Council will not have forgotten the conflicting decisions of two metropolitan police
magistrates, in 1905, as to what constitutes a "proper and sufficient supply" of water in the case
of tenemented houses, to which reference was made in my annual report for 1905 (page 106).
The Public Health Committee concluded their report with an intimation that they had
under consideration other matters in regard to which they were not yet in a position to report.
These "matters" were:—(1) Food Inspectors; the question raised being the institution of a class of
inspectors to be employed by the sanitary authorities—their training and qualifications to be
specially designed for the purpose of food inspection—and who, "while not being obliged to comply
with all the requirements, as to training and qualification, of sanitary inspectors, would not, without
such training and qualification, be empowered to exercise the functions of sanitary inspectors
generally." (2) Slaughter-houses—Inspection of Meat—a matter dealt with in another part of this
report (vide page 98); and (3) Health Visitors—a matter also dealt with elsewhere (vide page 64).
Public Health (Regulations as to Food) Bill.—This Bill, introduced by the President of the
Local Government Board, had for its object to enable the Board, by regulations, to provide for the
efficient inspection of food entering this country, a subject dealt with by the Public Health Committee
of the County Council in a report (in June) in which "the need for improved administration
in London for the pursoses of inspection of food entering London," was suggested; the recommendation
submitted being—
"That application be made to Parliament, in the session of 1907, for authority (i.) to enable
the Council to establish food inspection stations and public slaughter-houses in London, and
(ii.) to provide for the inspection of food entering London; and that, before the introduction
into Parliament of any bill on the subject, the Public Health Committee do report details upon
which the provisions of such bill shall be based."
The recommendation was disposed of by a motion "that the Council do proceed to the next
business."
The Public Health Committee subsequently reported that the Regulations as to Food Bill, if
it became law, would give to London all the protection they could have expected from any Bill
promoted by the Council. They were of opinion, however, that the Bill would not fulfil its purpose
in London, unless the Council, as the only authority having jurisdiction over the whole of the
county, was made the authority, in London, for the administration of any regulations which might be
made under it. The Bill consists of two clauses only, its sole purpose being to entrust the Local
Government Board with power, which, as matters stand, they do not possess, to make regulations
for the prevention of danger arising to public health from the importation, storage, or distribution
of articles of food. "Without a legal authorisation of this character, the Department find themselves
seriously handicapped in dealing with the canned meat traffic."* There was not time to
pass the Bill, which has been re-introduced by the President in the current session.
Inspection of Food.—In connexion with the important question dealt with above, it maybe
mentioned that the Council of the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney communicated to the other
Borough Councils a report, by their Medical Officer of Health, dealing with the food question under
* Public Health, August.