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maximum term of imprisonment : the original vendor of the
article, moreover, will be reached and made liable to the like
punishment as the person in whose possession it is found.
Smoke.—The duty of carrying out the Acts relating to the
prevention of smoke nuisances is transferred, by section 14, from
the Police to the Sanitary Authority; but no provision is made for
dealing with the nuisance arising from smoke, or the invisible but
more dangerous products of combustion, from chimneys so placed,
at a low altitude, or otherwise, as to discharge into inhabited
rooms.
Bye-Laws.—Exception has been taken to the power conferred,
by section 9, upon the County Council to make bye-laws,
with the sanction of the Local Government Board, for a variety
of purposes; on the ground that this is a duty which each of the
40 Sanitary Authorities could perform for their several districts.
The Sanitary Authorities should have a consultative voice in the
matter, and an appeal to the Local Government Board. But
otherwise, surely, the balance of convenience, and of advantage
generally, is in favour of uniform bye-laws for the Metropolis in
regard to the matters specified. All recognise the advantages of
the bye-laws made by the late Metropolitan Board of Works in
respect of slaughter-houses and cowsheds; it is only to be
regretted that the execution of them has not been relegated to
the Local Authorities; the same as in the case of bye-laws to be
made under the present measure, and which will have to be submitted
to the Local Government Board for sanction not later than
six months after the passing of the Act (sec. 47 (2).) My objection
to section 9 is that it does not go far enough. Power to
make bye-laws for regulating other matters is required, e.g., for
the storage of offal and other offensive trade refuse on the premises
where it is made, and for the regulation of offensive trades, such
as that of a marine-store dealer. Bakehouses, moreover, should
be regulated by bye-laws. Brick-burning and ballast-burning
also should be controlled. Additional powers to make bye-laws
are conferred on the County Council by section 20 (5) with