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means nuisances have been discovered which had not, and perhaps never
would have been complained of; and the consequence is that the sanitary defects
which the Inspectors found in the several houses and localities have been for
the most part remedied All the houses where fever cases were recorded in
the books of the Medical Officers of the Union have likewise been inspected,
and in nearly every case notice has been served upon the landlord to limewhite
the room, and in some instances the entire house There are 170 public dustbins
in the district, all of which are periodically examined by the Inspectors
For neglect in not emptying these public dustbins twice every week the contractors
are liable to a fine The slaughterhouses, cowhouses, and bakehouses
have been several times inspected As regards slaughterhouses, I may
here observe, that the clause of the Building Act relating to the prohibiting the
opening of a new slaughterhouse has not been acted upon in this district since
the first licensing day after the passing of the Metropolis Local Management
Act, when the Board successfully opposed the granting of a license to one of
the applicants upon the ground that it was a new application, and consequently
contrary to the provisions of the Building Act Since then the Board has not
deemed it advisable to oppose under that section any further application In
St Pancras Parish, however, according to Dr Hillier's last Annual Report, the
application for a license for a new slaughterhouse was refused by the Justices
on the ground that the premises were within 50 feet of a dwellinghouse, and
therefore, as a new application, was contrary to the provisions of the Building
Act It was no doubt contemplated by the Legislature, when this clause of the
Building Act was passed, that the privilege of slaughtering cattle in London
should gradually be abolished
The bakehouses, on inspection, were for the most part found to be clean ;
and in no instance was there discovered to be one used contrary to the provisions
of the Act Many of them are underground, which in a sanitary
point of view is exceedingly objectionable, from the large quantity of carbonic
acid which is evolved from the dough while undergoing the necessary fermentation,
and from the gases equally destructible to health which frequently
escape from the fires which heat the ovens These gases cannot readily
escape, owing to the difficulty of properly ventilating those bakehouses which
are situated underground I am sorry to say, that in only one instance in this
district is the bread made by machinery The objectionable plan of kneading
with the hands and arms is still practised
I am,
Gentlemen,
Your obedient Servant,
JOHN LIDDLE
15, GBKAT ALIE STREET