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73
the Local Government Board to a bye-law forbidding the passage of
cattle through a dwelling house or shop.
Your Vestry, it may be remembered, took decided action in this
matter in 1874, on the passing of the Act, and objected on principle to
the renewal of the license in every case where there was not an
approach to the premises altogether independent of the butcher's house
or shop; and, although the magistrates did not at that time give
complete effect to your Vestry's views, I am glad to be able to state
that only one slaughter-house with an improper entrance through a
shop now exists in Kensington, and this one appears to be but little
used.
It may be mentioned that there are now some 928 private slaughterhouses
in the Metropolis, whereas the number at the date of the
passing of the Act was 1429: and that only 27 new slaughter-houses
have been licensed since 1874. In Kensington there were 53 slaughterhouses
in 1873. Now there are but 29, and no new slaughter-house
has been licensed since the passing of the Act.
LICENSED COWSHEDS.
The licensed cowsheds are 23 in number, viz., 15 in the district
north, and 8 in the district south of Uxbridge Road (vide Table XII,
Appendix, for localities and names of licensees).
The licensing of the cowsheds for the year ending October, 1880,
had special features of interest, owing to the new conditions brought
into operation by the passing of the "Contagious Diseases (Animals)
Act, 1878."
In several of my annual reports I have stated fully the reasons
calling for more careful supervision of cowsheds and dairies: and in
my report for 1878, I specified the nature and extent of the powers
conferred on the Metropolitan Board of Works as the "Local
Authority" for all London (the City excepted) under the Act, in
respect of the construction and the management of cowsheds.
The Act was brought into operation through the issue of the "Dairies,
Cowsheds, and Milk Shops Order, 1879," and regulations framed
by the Local Authority thereunder. In anticipation of the annual
renewal of licenses, your Vestry's Works, Sanitary and General
Purposes Committee carefully inspected the several licensed