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at its option, has power to contribute towards the cost, and herein
lies the germ of future discontent and trouble, as the London
County Council has not hesitated to declare its intention to share
the cost only when an improvement partakes more or less of the
nature of a Metropolitan improvement. An appeal to Cæsar in
the event of a difference of opinion is provided for, as the Home
Secretary has important functions in the case of dispute.
Part iii. belongs to the County Council, and is in reality " Lord
Shaftesbury's Acts," which relate to Lodging Houses.
Part iv. is supplemental to the foregoing parts of the act.
Parts v. and vi. apply respectively to Scotland and Ireland.
Part vii. names the sections of, or the entire acts which are
repealed, and also contains the schedules and temporary provisions.
I do not propose to detail the many advantages and the objections
which this act contain. Certain points are difficult to understand,
and only in practice can the entire merits be declared patent. It
has obviously been the desire of the framers of this act to enlarge
the powers of the Local Authorities in dealing with insanitary
dwellings and I am glad to be in a position to state that, so far as
your Board is concerned, such object will be most loyally seconded.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES (PREVENTION) ACT, 1890.
(53 and 54 Vict, ch. 34.)
This act became operative on the 4th December last. Your
board, during the same month, decided to inforce all the provisions
contained in it. The act has reference to the inspection of dairies
under certain conditions. It also gives power to prohibit the
supply of milk within a district, when such supply reasonably
appears to have been the cause of the introduction of disease
therein.
Its other sections have reference to the cleansing and disinfecting
of premises, bedding, etc., as well as providing a penalty
on persons causing rooms, where infectious diseases have appeared,
to be let, without declaring what has taken place. Precautions
regarding the dead, etc., and other important provisions concerning
sanitary matters are contained in this act, which consists of
34 sections.