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the passing of the present Act, and provisions were made for a system of
licensing in lieu of registration, the licensing authority in the City being the
Corporation.
As the licensing authority, the Corporation are authorised to make Byelaws
for the proper regulation of such agencies, and upon my recommendation
the County Purposes Committee appointed your three women Sanitary
Inspectors as duly authorised officers to carry out any Bye-laws the Corporation
may make in relation to sleeping accommodation for women at employment
agencies.
I may add that similar duties were performed by these officers under
Clauses of the General Powers Act of 1905 in relation to registration of
agencies that are repealed by the Bill under consideration.
Part VI.—Milk Supply.—In this part of the Bill as drafted the London
County Council again attempted to promote legislation to prevent the supply
in London of dirty milk by the same procedure as that applying to
Tuberculous milk under Part IV. of the General Powers Act of 1907, and
similar objections were taken by your Medical Officer of Health against the
principles of such a measure as were unsuccessfully taken against that Bill,
and such objections were embodied in the Petition of the Corporation against
this part of the Bill. Further, although the sampling and the proper division
of samples was provided for, no provision was made for ensuring the competency
of the examiner thereof. Such provision obtains in the Sale of Food
and Drugs Acts, and it seems an anomaly that the farmer or dairyman in the
conduct of his business should be without the protection afforded publicans,
chemists, grocers and others. In my opinion no attempt to deal with the
milk supply by piecemeal legislation can be regarded as satisfactory, and only
the compulsory supervision over the whole of the country can be regarded as
any real advance in the direction of the establishment of a clean and
wholesome milk supply.
The Corporation and other opponents of piecemeal legislation were successful
in getting the whole of these milk clauses struck out of the Bill.
Part IX.—Miscellaneous and Financial.—Part IX., although affecting the
Corporation as a Local Authority, does not call for any comment on my part
as your Sanitary Advisor, the provisions thereof being confined, so far as the
City is concerned, to the granting of power to any of the magistrates of the
City for the appointment of persons to act as special constables for the
purpose of safeguarding the interests and property of the County Council.
The Act received the Royal Assent on the 3rd August, 1910.