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138
The St. Pancras Vestry appear to have been the first to take
up the question, their attention having been drawn to it by their
Medical Officer of Health, in an interesting report: a copy of
the report was sent to the several Sanitary Authorities, who
were invited to "express their views on the subject of the
regulation of bakehouses," and to say ''how far the present
position of legislation with reference to bakehouses is considered
satisfactory ?"
The Metropolitan Board of Works considered the subject, on
a report by their Special Purposes and Sanitary Committee,
pointing out that further legislation is now required to secure
the efficient inspection, and the proper sanitary condition of
bakehouses, and recommending that a communication be addressed
to the Home Secretary, urging the early introduction
into Parliament of a measure for enabling the Board to make
regulations as to the sanitary condition of bakehouses in the
Metropolis, with power to inspect and to enforce the regulations.
A good deal may be said in favour of the suggestion that the
Board should have the power to make bye-laws in order to
secure uniformity, but the duty of inspection should be entrusted
to the Sanitary Authorities, who already, and alone,
possess a staff of officers adequate, in point of numbers and experience,
to perform the duty satisfactorily.
The Newington Vestry's communication, elicited by the abovementioned
proposal that the Metropolitan Board should acquire
statutory power to regulate bakehouses, expressed the opinion
that if any change were to be made in the existing law relating
to the inspection and regulation of the sanitary condition of
bakehouses in the Metropolis, the powers vested in Vestries,
&c., by the Bakehouse Regulation Act, 1863, should revert to
those bodies. The communication from the Chelsea Vestry
was to a similar effect. The Islington Vestry forwarded a
copy of a resolution on the subject which it had sent to the
Home Secretary.
Action of the Vestry.—The communications from the
several Vestries were referred for consideration aud report to