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received the sanction of that Board. It may be added that some of the
receptacles were out of shape, so that the covers did not fit. In such
cases nuisance is inevitable, when the offal, &c., has passed into a state
of decomposition. Four of the slaughter-houses, two in Royal Crescent
Mews, and one each in Ledbury Mews and Clarendon Mews, are
defectively lighted, so that when the doors are closed it is impossible
to see to carry on the business, which requires a good light. And as a
matter of fact, business was being carried on at two of the premises with
open doors, and children were looking on. At several of the premises
no business appeared to have been carried on for considerable periods)
the slaughter-house being used for other purposes, mostly for standing
trade vehicles. Two of the premises were found to have changed
hands since the licenses were renewed in October last; in one instance
a business had changed hands twice within the year, and no transfer of
the license had taken place ; in the other case your Committee saw the
business being carried on within public view, contrary to the regulations,
a fact which would render a licensee amenable to the penalty
prescribed therein. Your Committee are of opinion that such transfer
should always be effected, as otherwise it would be difficult to fix on
anyone the proper responsibility for breach of the bye-laws. It is a
question, moreover, whether the use of a slaughter-house by any other
person than the one to whom the license is granted is not unlawful."
It may be added that comparatively little slaughtering is now
done: on some of the premises none at all, the license being kept
up, apparently, with the view of maintaining the value of the
premises. In the interests of public health it is desirable that
private slaughter-houses should give place to public abattoirs, and
that the dead-meat trade should be encouraged to the utmost.
In my last Annual Report, I gave a summary of the provisions
of the Sale of Horseflesh, &c., Regulation Act,
which came into force in September, 1889. Hitherto no shop had
been opened in this Parish for the sale of horseflesh for food of
man.
COWSHEDS, DAIRIES, &o.
In 1875, I called attention to the cowsheds 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