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143
require only 600 feet tinder certain circumstances. There has
been considerable reduction in the number of (low Sheds in the
Metropolis, from 1,044 in 1880 to 720 in 1888. In 1878 the
number in Kensington was 26; now there are just 12, viz., 8 in
North Kensington and 4 in South Kensington. The names of
the licensees and the localities of the licensed premises are
set out in Table XII. (Appendix). The premises were visited by
the Works, Sanitary and General Purposes Committee in July,
and found in a satisfactory condition They are licensed for the
keeping of 188 cows, but contained 84 only at the time of
inspection. In 1885 a new Dairies Order was issued, which
enabled the Local Authority to frame more stringent regulations,
especially for the prevention of contamination of milk, and
spread of infectious disease through the agency of milk, a
subject, to which I have already referred, at page 27. The
defect in legislation, as in the cognate case of the Slaughter
Houses Act, is that no attempt was made to utilise the services
of the Medical Officers of Health and the Sanitary Inspectors,
the Sanitary Authorities (Vestries, &c.) being ignored.
BAKEHOUSES.
Under the provisions of the Bakehouses Regulation Act,
1863, the Sanitary Authorities (Vestries, &c.) were responsible
for the inspection, &c. of bakehouses. In January, 1879, the
supervision of these establishments was transferred to the
Factory Inspectors by the Factory and Workshop Act, 1878.
The Inspectors, few in number, could not perform the duty,
and in the result the bakehouses fell into a state more or less
unsatisfactory, depending on the degree of attention bestowed
upon them—without statutory authority—by sanitary officials.
In some parishes no inspection at all was made, and at last it
was seen to be necessary (the Chief Factory Inspector himself
being witness) to reverse the legislation of 1878, and to retransfer
the control of bakehouses to the Sanitary Authorities,