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hog wash, to extract fat, are not very obvious; and, it must be added,
the bye-laws for the regulation of these "businesses" do not permit
collections of bones, fat, &c., to remain exposed on the premises
to pollute the air. Why then, should such matters be allowed to
remain exposed, and polluting the air, in the neighbourhood of the
stores where they are originally collected, and which are so much
more numerous than the "manufactories?" The Board was of
opinion that a nuisance such as that brought under their notice
"should be dealt with under the Nuisances Removal Act," which,
they say, was "intended to apply to such cases." Doubtless it
was intended to apply to such cases, but it was also intended to
apply to the cases of the "offensive businesses" now regulated
under the Slaughter Houses Act, in respect of which the Board is
the "Local Authority." In practice, however, it was found impossible
to deal effectually with nuisances arising in the conduct of
those businesses under the general Act, and so a special Act was
passed. The Board evidently do not realise the difficulty of
dealing with recurring trade nuisances under the Nuisances
Removal Act; but experience has taught them how easy it is to
prevent nuisance when the "offensive businesses" are conducted
subject to bye-laws with appropriate penalties for offences. In
properly constructed premises, in chambers without openings, to
the external atmosphere, and in covered impermeable receptacles,
bones, fat, &c., can be stored without nuisance, and it is to be
regretted that the Board did not see their way to secure these
requisites by declaring a marine store business to be an "offensive
business" within the meaning of the Act. The Board employ
but few Inspectors of offensive businesses, and they might well have
supposed that a large staff would be required for the regular
inspection of marine stores. But the difficulty could be got over,
once bye-laws were framed, by making use of the services of the
sanitary inspectors in the several sanitary districts.
One point has been made clear since the correspondence
between the Board and your Vestry took place, viz., that the
business of a bone and rag merchant is ejusdem generis with the
businesses named in the Slaughter Houses Act, and those