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116
ing the power of making "Orders." Had the Bill passed, the
Metropolitan Board of Works would have continued to be the
"Local Authority" for the Metropolis, outside the city; an
objectionable arrangement, seeing that the Board have no Medical
Officer and no proper sanitary staff.* Under the auspices of your
Vestry, a strong opposition to this part of the Bill was raised; it
having been urged that, while it was desirable to give the Board
power to frame bye-laws for the regulation of dairies and cowsheds,
so as to secure uniformity, the duty of carrying out the bye-laws ;
by supervision of cowsheds, dairies, etc., should be entrusted to
the Sanitary Authorities, i.e., the Vestries and the District
Boards; these bodies having Medical Officers and Inspectors
accustomed to the work. The views of your Vestry accorded with
those of the Society of Medical Officers of Health, as expressed
by resolution to the effect—
"That it is desirable, having regard to the more effectual prevention of the
spread of zymotic disease by the agenoy of milk, that the special
sanitary supervision and inspection of cowsheds, dairies and milk
shops, should be entrusted to the Sanitary Authorities, the Medical
Officers of Health, and the Sanitary Inspectors of the respective
districts."
Communications were addressed to the Lord President of the
Council, to the President of the Local Grovernment Board, and to
the several Vestries and District Boards, with the object of
preventing perpetuation of the error involved in placing the
supervision of cowsheds and dairies under the Metropolitan
Board exclusively.
The Bill was dropped, but its main provisions have been
re-enacted in the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill, 1886,
which, having passed the Lords, is now before the House of
* The Board's Inspectors are about seven in number, and in addition to
supervision of nine thousand premises registered under the Dairies Order, they
inspect slaughter-houses and all "offensive trades" mentioned in, or scheduled
under the provisions of, the Slaughter-houses (Metropolis) Act, 1871. They
are also Inspectors under the Explosives Acts, and as such have to visit the
numerous premises where mineral oils are stored. The district of the Inspector
for this parish includes the parishes of St. George's, Hanover Square, St.
Margaret and St. John, Westminster, Pacddington. Fulham, Chelsea, and
Hammersmith.