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obtained their licenses; 2 owners not having fulfilled those requirements
failed to obtain licenses. I would recommend that the Inspector
should continue to pay periodical visits to all licensed slaughter-houses,
as well as to those which he may have reason to suspect are being used
for the slaughtering of cattle, sheep, or pigs, without license ; in order
that the law might not be evaded, and that the public may be assured
their food is prepared in a wholesome and proper manner.
During the year I have also examined 4 sausage making establishments,
where these articles of food are manufactured by machinery.
At the time of my visits I found some things to object to. Due notices
were served on the owners to thoroughly cleanse the premises, which
was accordingly done. These places, however, will require occasional
inspection, to keep them in a wholesome conditiou. In all these investigations
I was accompanied and ably assisted by your Inspector, who
possesses a thorough knowledge of every department of his office.
Drainage.
I learn, from your Surveyor's able report, that the drainage of the
entire Wandsworth District is very defective. I have good reason to
know that this is particularly the case in this sub-district. So very
defective, in some cases, is the sewerage of this parish, that it prevents
other necessary sanitary improvements being carried out. Our sewers,
in my opinion, are much too antiquated, without system or design, and
appear to be in a very dilapidated condition. In their present state they
are worse than useless, and are proving nuisances of the worst kind, and
highly injurious to health. A more complete system of tunnel sewerage,
more substantially built, and far more capacious than at present, appears
to be much needed; as is also a system of tubular pipe drainage, for house
purposes. Owing to the elevated site of this parish, drainage becomes
an easy matter. On almost every side we have a good fall for surface
and underground drainage; and I believe, if these were efficiently carried
out, Clapham might be rendered one of the most healthy districts
of the metropolis, as by such means we should get rid of that most
revolting abomination—the cesspool system.
Water Supply.
In quality our water is better than it has been for years past, but
there is still much room for improvement. In some cases the supply is
daily, in others every second or third day. In my opinion it should be,
in all cases, daily; as a third day's supply is very apt to become loaded
with impurities before it is consumed. A constant supply is, however,
what is really needed, and the common water-butt everywhere done
away with; in the meantime, covered cisterns of slate or stone being
substituted for these objectionable receptacles.
Removal of Nuisances.
In the past year 278 complaints were entered in the Inspector's
books, and duly reported on to the Board. Most of these were attended
to and remedied. In some of these cases, where the orders of your