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65
Dairies, cowsheds and Milkshops.
11. On January 1st, there were 186 milkshops on the register;
21 were added and 57 removed during the year, leaving 149 on
the register at the close of 1905. There were 300 inspections
made. An occupier of a milkshop was prosecuted in 1905 under
Section 13 of the Dairies and Cowsheds Order, 1885. It was
a small general shop in which the occupier insisted on selling
milk in spite of warning, and contained the usual amount of
dust and dirt. A fine of 20s. and 25s. costs was imposed for
this offence and failure to register. This conviction has strengthened
the hands of the Health Department in requiring persons
not to sell milk in unsuitable general shops; hence the reduction
of the number of shops on the register.
Nineteen samples of milk from farms outside the county were
examined for tubercle bacilli with a negative result.
12. The number of cowsheds remained as before—18. These
were all inspected four times, and eight notices were served for
dirty conditions, etc. There were no prosecutions.
The general condition of cows and cowsheds in the Borough is
fairly good; much better than exists in the provincial districts,
from which the great bulk of the milk sold in the Borough is
derived. Some attempts at grooming the cows is now made, and
the hands of the milkers are said to be washed; in these respects,
however, there is much ground for improvement, but until the
Sanitary Authority has power to do something more than advise,
there is not likely to be much advance.
It was found that the bulk of the milk sold in the Borough
came from Wiltshire, and you instructed me to visit this County
and inspect, as far as possible, the cowsheds and depots of the
large companies, in consultation with the local Medical Officer of
Health. This was done and a special Report printed, which
elicited much local and general notice, and has probably been
instrumental in assisting towards a purer supply.
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