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55
WATER SUPPLY.
The whole district is served by the Metropolitan Water Board.
The supply is constant and good ; no complaints have been received
from householders, and no analyses have been made, as no occasion for
the latter arose during the year. Particular attention has been paid by
the Sanitary Inspector to water cisterns improperly kept, and during the
year 352 of these have been dealt with in conformity with the Public
Health Act of 1907.
The Public Baths have been freely used by the Education Authority
as in previous years, for the teaching of swimming to the boys and girls
of our elementary schools.
During the year there were 114,203 bathers, made up as to 77,689
men, 16,963 women, 11,770 boys, and 7,781 girls.
COWSHEDS, MILKSHOPS, AND DAIRIES.
During the year, in company with the Veterinary Surgeon and
Sanitary Inspector, I twice visited all the cowsheds. There were
12 registered cowsheds, stabling 237 cows at my last visit.
A marked improvement in the cleanly condition of the sheds and
cattle was noticeable ; but there is still much room for improvement.
The new bye-laws came into operation on January 1st, 1911, and
as a consequence of their anticipated effectiveness, one of the worst
premises has been abandoned.
Among the cows inspected, the Veterinary Surgeon certified that of
five "in process of fattening," four had advanced tuberculosis of udder.
These were in a separate byre on premises where over one hundred
cows were kept.
In two other small premises, stabling 15 cows, there were four with
tubercular udders. These undesirables were kept under observation
until removed, but their destination could not be ascertained. It is
quite simple to order the removal of diseased cows, and to tell the cowkeeper
that he must not mix with other milk or sell for human food,
that of cows with tuberculous udders, but there the simplicity ends ; to
ensure it requires the co-operation of the cowkeepers and the present
Dairies, Cowsheds, and Milkshops Order should read that a registered
cowkeeper must at once remove from his premises—intimating their
destination—tubercular cows, or have his name struck off the Register.
The total number of cows kept in the district cannot supply more
than a tenth of the milk consumed, and it may be accepted from the
known conditions here and elsewhere, that a clean milk supply is
impossible. Cleanliness is largely a matter of opinion, and the standard
of the majority of cowkeepers is not that of the Public Health Official.
Patting it mildly, it is inadequate, and no real improvement can be
effected until some reasonable legalised standard is made. What
applies to the cowkeepers is equally applicable to the milksellers.