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the cause of complaint. They have done this by carrying up the
shaft some 20 feet, and by the interposition of diaphragms to
intercept the fine grit carried up by the draught; and I hope
that in the result these measures will be found adequate for
the purpose.
LICENSED SLAUGHTER HOUSES.
The licensed slaughter-houses—49 in number—viz., 28 in the
North Sanitary District, and 21 in the South, have been duly inspected.
In my last annual report I gave some account of the
Slaughter Houses (Metropolis) Act, 1874, under which
the Metropolitan Board of Works, as the "local authority,"
were empowered to frame bye-laws, for regulating the
conduct of the business of a slaughterer of cattle,
and the structure of the premises in which the business
is carried on. As it was impossible to get the bye-laws framed
and confirmed by the Local Government Board previous to the
annual licensing day in the month of October (as a matter of fact
they were not confirmed until the 27th of May in the present
year), your Yestry, on the recommendation of the Sanitary Committee,
unanimously resolved that certain conditions were essential
in order to fit a slaughter-house for the business, and decided
to oppose the renewal of licenses in every case that did not come
up to the standard. The conditions were as follows :
1. A slaughter-house should have an independent entrance, so
that the cattle may not have to pass through the house or shop;
and it should be at a reasonable distance from other buildings,
particularly inhabited houses.
2. It should be open to the roof; or, at least, should have no
inhabited rooms over it.
3. It should be well ventilated and properly lighted," so that
the slaughtering may be done, as it always should be, with closed
doors.
4. It should have walls and floor of smooth and impervious
materials—the flooring being laid on concrete.
5. It should be well drained, with stone ware pipes, and the
drains should be permanently trapped.
6. It should have attached to it ample and separate lairage,
constructed with a due regard to sanitary and other requirements.
7. It should be effectually separated from any lair, stable,
dung-pit, w.c., &c., so that the meat may not be exposed to any
offensive effluvia.
8. It should be of adequate size, and should not be used for
any other purpose than that for which it is licensed, and particularly
it should not be used as a stable, a lair, or a cow-shed.
Upon viewing the several slaughter-houses by this standard,
so many were found defective in one or other respect that it was
thought best to give the formal notice of opposition required by
the Act, in every case, but your Clerk and myself were directed to
oppose the renewal of the license in those cases only that did not