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There were at the end of 1902, 107 bakehouses, of which 97 were
reckoned as underground and 10 above ground. 48 applications
were made for certificates during 1902, and the Sub-committee were
able to visit 20 of these underground bakehouses before the end of the
year, and eventually recommended that certificates be granted in respect
of 4 of them. Works required in connection with the others had not
been carried out by the end of the year. At the end of 1903 I shall
probably be able to report that the number of bakehouses in the City
has been considerably reduced, due partly to the increase in the
stringency of the requirements, and to the tendency to build bakehouses
which will serve several shops, and to provide mechanical power in the
place of hand labour.
E. Food Supply.
Milk.
Under the powers transferred to the City Council from the County
Council in November, 1900, 14 dairies and milkshops have been
registered, and 390 visits have been paid to them. There are 3 cowkeepers
in the City licensed by the County Council, viz., at 13, Marsham
Street (19 cows), 7, Arthur Street (12 cows), and 28, Winchester
Terrace (3 cows). These have been visited regularly.
Legal Powers.—The London County Council sought in a General
Powers Bill to obtain power to deal with outbreaks of infectious disease
in connection with milk supplies, and also to take samples of milk for
examination as to tuberculosis. The Bill was opposed by the City, and
I gave evidence against it before the Committees of the Houses of
Parliament. It was generally regarded as an attempt on the part of the
County Council to get back the power taken from that body by the
London Government Act, so far as milk supply was concerned. The
House of Commons Committee eliminated the tuberculosis clauses at
an early stage, and the House of Lords threw out the rest of this part
of the Bill.
The evidence put forward on behalf of the City of Westminster was
on the following lines:—
" The opinion of the Westminster Council is that the powers sought
for by the London County Council, in Part 8 of the General Powers Bill,
are unnecessary, as the Medical Officer of Health of each borough has
power under the Public Health Act to take all the necessary steps to
stop the supply of milk to his borough.
" The Medical Officer of Health is the person to whom notifications
of infectious disease are sent, and he is in a position to ascertain, from
the enquiries made by him, whether the milk supply is spreading