View report page

94
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."
The action of the City Corporation.—The part taken by the Kensington Sanitary Authority,
in, and since, 1874, in the movement for substituting public abattoirs for private slaughter-houses
in the Metropolis* should accentuate the interest of the Council in the action by the Corporation
of the City of London who have recently opened a public abattoir for the Metropolitan Cattle
Market on a site two acres in extent.t
LICENSED COW HOUSE
One cow house 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, in Kensington.
There has been a considerable reduction in the number of cow houses in the Administrative
County: viz., from 1,044 in 1880, to 233 in 1907. 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 16 applications for registration. At the close of the year 279 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 dealings to other shops where this necessary food 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
at present to refuse registration to would-be vendors of milk.
MUNICIPAL MILK DEPOTS.
One of the resolutions of the National Conference on Infantile Mortality (1906) was to the
effect—
That . . . immediate legislation is required enabling Sanitary Authorities to establish
or support depots for the supply of pure, or modified or sterilized milk, and to defray any cost
out of the monies available for public health purposes."
When (in November, 1906) the Executive Committee waited upon the Prime Minister and the
President of the Local Government Board to present the resolutions of the Conference, the
President expressed sympathy with the views set out in this resolution. Incalculable good (he said)
had been done in those districts which had adopted the system of supplying sterilized milk, and he
had decided to introduce a Bill sanctioning what was doubtful and illegal in the action of the local
authorities in establishing milk depots. In the Session of 1907, accordingly, the President brought
in a Bill "to authorise and regulate the establishment of milk depots by certain local authorities,
and for matters incidental thereto." The Bill did not become law. In the current Session the
President purposes to deal with the whole question of the milk supply of the country generally,
and possibly the clauses of the " Municipal Milk Depots Bill, 1907," may find a place therein.
OFFENSIVE BUSINESSES.
The only business coming within the statutory description " offensive," other than that of
a slaughterer of cattle, carried on within the Borough, is that of a Fat Extractor, at Tobin Street,
Notting Dale. In connection with this factory, a certificate of inhabitants, under Section 21 of the
Public Health (London) Act, 1891, was received, and, at the instance of the Public Health
* Vide annual report for 1874. page 22. The subject had also been dealt with in the annual report for the preceding year, page 26.
fAn illustrated description of the abattoir appeared in the Sanitary Record, January 16th, 1908.