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57
4.—Dairies and Cowsheds.
There are in the Borough 942 premises where milk is sold. These include
42 Cowsheds. Milkshops are registered only, whereas Cowsheds are Licensed
by the London County Council. Cowsheds are liable to a double inspection,
viz.: that of the local authorities and of the London County Council. Either
or both can object to the licence being renewed on licensing day. No new
Cowshed is likely to be licensed, but an\one can register as a milk vendor and
sell milk, although his premises may be most unsuitable. The Dairies and
Milkshops Orders give the Sanitary Authorities power to take proceedings if the
milk utensils are kept in a dirty state, but do not give the power of refusing to
register milk vendors when they are of opinion that the conditions are unsuitable.
A large number of the above milk vendors are small general tradesmen,
selling possibly a quart of milk only a day. In the shop, and in close
promixity to the milk itself, may be seen cans of parafin, soap, gorgonzola
cheese, and other high smelling commodities. I am strongly of opinion that
milk should not be sold in small general shops of this description.
Sanitary Authorities have power to compel cowsheds to be well-lighted,
ventilated, and to be kept in a clean condition. They have no power, however,
to insist on the milking being carried out under suitable and sanitary
conditions. As I have stated on a previous occasion, the dirtiest servant in
the employment of the milkman is always the person whose duty it is to milk
the cows. The milkman would not dare to send this man into the streets
with a churn to sell milk in the same condition that he is always seen
in the Cowshed. It would be such a bad advertisement for him, that
his trade would be ruined in a very short time. Most of the milkmen who
keep cows used formerly to be small tenant farmers, before they migrated to
London. I do not think that there is any improvement in the method adopted
of milking, as compared with their practice when they were farming. In
analysing milk, it is no uncommon sight to find decomposing straw, soil and
other filth in the milk. When I have visited the Cowsheds and watched
the cowmen milking, I have not been surprised at this. The cowman
does not consider it necessary, but rather a waste of time to wash his hands
before he starts milking. In order to have the necessary moisture on
the palms of his hands, he spits on them, or soaks them in a little of the
milk which he has added to the milking-can for that purpose. His boots are
in such a filthy state that they have generally the appearance of not having
been cleaned for weeks, and his clothes are in a similar state. It seems to be
an easy matter for the Legislature to authorise the making of regulations
insisting on the personal cleanliness of the persons responsible for the