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are compelled to do so. Unfortunately, in the present state of the law there
are great difficulties placed in the way, not the least of these being the apathy
of Local Authorities with respect to carrying out their obligations under the
Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops Order of 1885.
With regard to these, a Return presented to the House of Commons on
13th May, 1907, shows—
(a) The names of the Councils of Boroughs and Urban and Rural
Districts who have made Regulations under the Dairies, Cowsheds and
Milkshops Order of 1885, and
(b) The number of Councils of each class who have not made such
Regulations.
From this Return we learn that while "The Corporation of the City of
"London have made Regulations,* in the rest of the Metropolis Regulations
"are in force which were made by the Metropolitan Board of Works."†

In the aggregate, 18.2 per cent. have not made Regulations. Taken
separately the percentage of these are as follows:—
Councils of Boroughs 11.0 per cent.
Councils of Urban Districts other than Boroughs 15.5 „
Councils of Rural Districts 25.1 „
It will be seen that approximately in one-fourth of the Rural Districts the
Councils have failed to take advantage of the opportunity the law affords of
exercising proper control over the source of milk supply in the districts over
which they are supposed to exercise sanitary control.
The Parliamentary Return from which the above figures are taken is somewhat
incomplete, as while it gives the names and numbers of those Authorities
"regulating" Dairies, Cowsheds and Milkshops, it gives the numbers only of
those that have failed to do so.
* These were last revised in 1903.
† The Metropolitan Board of Works were succeeded by the London County Council in 1889.