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49
The Home Office forwarded 5 complaints, which comprised—
Overcrowding 2
Inadequate ventilation 1
Insufficient water-closet accommodation 1
Sanitary conveniences not properly screened 1
Bakehouses.-—During the year one "level" bakehouse and one "underground" one were closed,
the total number at the end of the year being 65, of which 43 were Factory Bakehouses.
The number of "level" bakehouses was 18 (13 being factories, and of "underground" 47 (30
being factories). The number of persons working in bakehouses was 320, including 13 women and
26 individuals under the age of 18 years. The bakehouses were inspected on 818 occasions during
the year.
FOOD SUPERVISION.
Slaughterhouses.—There were four slaughterhouses in the borough at the beginning of 1924, but
the licence of one of them, that at 6, Upper Brook Mews, lapsed during 1924 owing to non-user, and
was not renewed by the London County Council.
There were 138 inspections in 1924, and 133 in 1925. The animals slaughtered, so far as is known,
were 421 head in 1924, comprising 45 bullocks and 376 sheep, and 558 head in 1925, comprising 34
bullocks, 515 sheep and 9 pigs. In 1924, 2 sheeps' livers were destroyed as unsound and in 1925,
2 bullocks' livers and 2 pigs' heads (tuberculous).
Public Health (Meat) Regulations, 1924.
These Regulations came into force on April 1st, 1925, and deal with the inspection and marking
of meat and its protection from contamination. The Regulations are divided into six parts.
Part 1.—Contains definitions.
Part 2.—This provides for proper notice being given of any slaughtering by the occupier of a
slaughterhouse, and prohibits certain practices whereby the meat in a slaughterhouse may become
contaminated. There are now only three slaughterhouses in Paddington, and the amount of slaughtering
is not great. The new arrangements for giving notice of slaughtering to the local authority have
worked smoothly.
Part 3.—Deals with the marking of meat and does not affect this borough at present.
Part 4.—Deals with the protection from contamination of meat on a stall.
Meat was sold from two coster's stalls at the beginning of 1925, but during the year the use of
one stall was discontinued, and the other stall was adapted to comply with the regulations by having
its top and three sides enclosed. This stall stands in Kilburn Lane on Saturdays.
At the beginning of the year meat was sold from two stalls situated on the footway opposite to
butchers' shops. Both these stalls have been discontinued.
The definition of a " stall " in the Regulations appears to be insufficient, and does not apparently
include the case where meat is exposed in a street on a piece of sacking. I have in the past observed
this practice in London (not in Paddington), ox-tails being exposed for sale by a hawker in this manner.
Part 5.—Deals with the protection of meat in shops, stores, etc. An important section in this
part states that the occupier of a room in which meat is on sale shall take all such steps as may be
reasonably necessary to guard against the contamination of the meat therein by flies and shall cause
the meat to be so placed as to prevent mud, filth, or other contaminating substance being splashed
or blown thereon.
Considerable discussion has taken place as to what the steps are which are reasonably necessary
in an ordinary butcher's shop to protect the meat from contamination. This aspect has not presented
any difficulty in Paddington where, in common with the West End of London, the arrangement and
cleanliness of butchers' shops show a high standard as compared with other parts of the country.
There are some 80 butchers' shops in Paddington, 69 of which are provided with glass fronts, 2 are
partly closed in this way, whilst 9 are open in front. The amount of meat exposed outside the shops
is not great, and as a result of the new regulations a great improvement in this respect was effected,
notably by the fixing of sun and side blinds.