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142
being the local authority under the Act. It is necessary that
the Council should be a local authority for the purpose of
making regulations, so as to secure uniformity for the whole
Metropolis, but the Sanitary Authorities should have concurrent
powers to enable them them to enforce the provisions
of the regulations.
COW SHEDS, DAIRIES, &c.
In 1875 I called attention to the Cow Sheds and Dairies in
the Metropolis, in a paper read before the Society of Medical
Officers of Health, urged the necessity, in the interests of public
health, of regulating them by bye-laws, and submitted a draft
code, I contended that an Act should be passed, providing for
the regulation of Cow Sheds and Dairies ; that the Metropolitan
Board of Works should be the Local Authority, to exercise a
general supervision, and to make regulations, uniform for the
Metropolis ; but that the duty of inspection, etc., should devolve
on the Vestries and District Boards of Works. The code, with
slight alterations, was adopted and published by the Society as
"Model Bye-laws." In 1878 the Board was constituted Local
Authority by Section 34 of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act;
the Privy Council framed the Dairies, Cow Sheds and Milkshops
Order in 1879; and Regulations, based upon the code, were
made by the Board, under the operation of which as much
improvement as could be expected has been effected, seeing
that the Board's powers were limited. The Order has proved
useful; and soon after its promulgation I was erabled successfully
to prosecute a dairyman for carrying on his business while
his house was practically a small-pox hospital. One of the
regulations provides for a certain amount of cubic or "air
space" for each animal. Long before it existed I Lad
successfully contended for 800 feet. The Justices adopted my
view, with the result that, in the parishes and districts comprised
in the Kensington Division, that amount became a standard
allowance which has been enforced, although the regulations