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Market, in Caledonian Road, Islington, having been laid on December 19th, 1906. The area of the
site is two acres, and the cost of the structure will be some £40,000. The Chairman of the Cattle
Markets Committee, who officiated on the occasion, predicted that the abattoirs, when completed,
would be found equal to the best on the Continent, and superior to many. He also stated that of
all the meat which passed through the Central Market, only 21 per cent, was produced in this
country, the remaining 79 per cent. being either brought alive and slaughtered at Deptford, or
imported in a frozen condition—a fact attributed to the circumstance that up-to-date public
abattoirs did not exist in London, outside Deptford. Cooling chambers, necessary to ensure that
the meat should remain in a condition to keep for a reasonable period, were wanting, and these,
at great expense, the Corporation were providing. The hope was expressed that the efforts now
being made would tend to increase the trade in the home-grown article, and be to the benefit of the
agricultural community, as well as of the public generally.
Public slaughter-houses have been established at many provincial towns; and it is to be
hoped that provision of the sort may, ere very long, be made for the Administrative County of
London. It may be mentioned that the representatives of the Sanitary Authorities at the
Conference on the Administration of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891, held at the County
Hall, in July, 1904, unanimously passed a resolution—"That the time has arrived when private
slaughter-houses should cease to exist in London."
LICENSED COW HOUSE
One cow house, in North Kensington, was licensed by the County Council, in October, for the
keeping of three cows. The licensee is Mr. Arnsby, and the premises are located at 187, Walmer
Road. In bygone days, within my experience, there were 28 licensed premises, containing 500
cows.
There has been a considerable reduction in the number of cow houses in the Administrative
County: viz., from 1,044 in 1880, to 223 in 1906. The County Council intimated to cowkeepers,
some years since, that their Public Health Committee were of opinion that, in the case of premises
newly licensed, the recommendation of the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, that no cow house
should be erected within 100 feet of a dwelling-house, should be observed. The Council can, of
course, enforce the condition, if they think fit.
Dairies Order.—The Council, as Local Authority in regard to milkshops, etc., received
last year 15 applications for registration. At the close of the year 299 premises were on
the register. The several premises are regularly inspected. At many small general provision
shops, milk is sold in small quantity, usually from a glazed earthenware vessel standing on the
counter, and mainly for the convenience of customers; but also in self-defence, lest customers
should be induced to transfer their general dealings to other shops where this necessary article of
diet can be obtained. The containing vessels at these shops are kept clean; but the air of
the premises is far from "pure"; the commonly prevailing odour being that of mineral oil, or of
some one or other of the miscellaneous articles of food, cooked or uncooked, groceries, etc., vended
thereat. I should be glad to see a better state of things; but the Local Authority appear to
have no power to refuse registration to would-be vendors of milk.
The Milk Supply of London.—The Public Health Committee of the County Council, in a report
on Legislative Proposals for the Session of 1907, adopted by the Council in July, made recommendations
with respect to the milk supply, which have been embodied in the Council's General
Powers Bill now before Parliament. The Committee, in the said report, gave a summary history
of their action in regard to this matter, in which it is stated that, in June, 1901, on their recommendation,
the Council resolved to apply to Parliament for "powers for the prevention of the
spread of infectious disease attributable to milk,'' but failed to obtain them, the clauses embodying
the Committee's proposals, in the General Powers Bill of 1902, relating to tuberculous milk,
having been struck out by a Select Committee of the House of Commons; and those relating to
infectious disease attributable to milk, by a Committee of the House of Lords. A renewed application
for like, and additional, powers in the General Powers Bill of 1905, was equally unsuccessful.
On second reading of the Bill, an Instruction to substitute the Borough Medical Officer
for the County Medical Officer was carried; the clause as to infectious diseases
attributable to milk was struck out, and the clause dealing with milk unfit for
human food was amended, so as to provide for a penalty to be imposed on the
vendor of such milk, only if its condition were due to his wilful neglect. The
Council thereupon withdrew the Parts (vi. and vii.) of the Bill which related to the milk supply. Undeterred
by these failures, the Committee, in their aforementioned report, recommended that the
Council should promote legislation, in the Session of 1907, on the lines on which it was sought,
in 1905, to deal with tuberculous milk, and other infectious milk, and dirty milk.