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125
in Table XII. (appendix). The premises were inspected
in July by the Sanitary Committee, and found to be in a
generally satisfactory condition. There were only 14 cows, in
three of the sheds, the fourth shed being empty. Not many
years ago there were 28 sheds, containing about 500 cows.
There has been a corsiderable reduction in the number of
cow-houses in the Metropolis, viz., from 1,044 in 1880, to 394
in 1896, or 22 fewer than in 1895. In Kensington, the
reduction has been from 23 in 1880, to 4 in 1896.
BAKEHOUSES.
The bakehouses, to the number of 138, viz., 74 in North
Kensington, and 64 in South Kensington, were, as usual,
regularly inspected, and such action was taken, in individual
cases, as was found to be necessary for ensuring compliance
with the sanitary provisions of the Factory and Workshop
Acts, 1878 to 1895, and the Public Health (London) Act, 1891,
relating to bakehouses. In my annual report for 1894 (pp. 152
to 166 inclusive), when dealing with the "regulation of bakehouses,"
I summarised the steps which had then been recently
taken by the County Council with the object of securing such
an amendment of the law as would enable the Sanitary
Authority to exercise an efficient control over bakehouses.
The Council thought that the Factory and Workshops Bill,
which was to be brought in by the Government in 1895, would
"afford an opportunity for amending the law relating to bakehouses,"
and the Public Health Committee of that body
subsequently waited upon the President of the Local Government
Board to press their views with reference to the matter.
The President stated that it was improbable that any clause
would be inserted in the proposed Bill dealing with London
bakehouses, as the Bill would have reference to the whole
country and not particularly to London, and he suggested that
the Council itself should introduce a Bill. In accordance with
the Committee's recommendation, the Parliamentary Com-