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vision for separation of the lairage from the slaughter-house, to
prevent the living animals seeing the butcher at his work, nor
for an entrance to the slaughter-house independent of the house
or shop. For both of these points your Vestry, at my instance,
contended successfully before the justices, and the local authority
subsequently followed suit. Your Vestry, moreover, insisted upon
the provision of a water supply in the lairs. In 1875 I made
proposals for amendment of the bye-laws, which were approved
by the Society of Medical Officers of Health; but the bye-laws
remain now as they were originally framed: the London County
Council, however, has prepared improved regulations, which have
been before the Local Government Board for many months
awaiting sanction. The existing bye-laws were serviceable,
having led to considerable improvement of licensed premises,
and to the closing of many of the worst establishments. In 1874
there were some 1500 slaughter-houses in London; in 1889,
691 only. In Kensington 48 were licensed in 1873, the year
before the Act came into operation: in 1874, 31 only. The
present number is 22, and no new slaughter-house has been
opened since the passing of the Act. The defect of the Act is
that it ignores the sanitary authorities (Vestries and District
Boards), whose medical officers of health and sanitary inspectors
should have been made available for the purposes of inspection
and supervision. Such inspection and supervision, however, has
been kept up in Kensington with obvious advantage, although
your Vestry have no statutory authority, excepting such as is
derived from power to oppose the renewal of the annual licence.
It is necessary that the Council should be 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 to enforce the requirements
of the regulations.
LICENSED SLAUGHTER-HOUSES.
Thirteen of the 22 licensed slaughter-houses are in North
Kensington (i.e., the district north of Uxbridge Road) and nine
in South Kensington (i.e., the remainder of the Parish south of