TABLE L.-Unwholesome food condemned during the year ended June 30, 1900-Cont'd.

A statement relative to the inspection of certain classes of food for the purpose of determining whether adulterated or not appears in connection with the discussion of the work of the chemical laboratory and at greater length in the report of the chemist.

Marine products.-The inspection of marine products has shown no material variation in character or amount during the past year. The amount and character of such work is shown in the following table: TABLE M.-Inspection and condemnation of marine products for the year ended June 30,

TABLE M.-Inspection and condemnation of marine products, etc.—Continued.

The numbers of carp and of black bass brought to local markets have very materially increased. In 1898-99, 3,460 carp and 18,965 black bass were inspected. During the past year the corresponding figures have been 6,195 and 81,545. The number of porgies has, however, decreased from 6,870 to 1,596.

The

Although the District has a monopoly of the landing of fish and owns the fish wharf, it has made no proper provision for conducting the business. The result has been that during the past summer and spring, as annually heretofore, complaints have been made by those residing or having business in the vicinity of the fish wharf. nuisance resulting from the business conducted at this establishment can not be avoided until suitable provision has been made for the receipt and distribution of the fish and for the disposal of the refuse. It is urged that steps toward this end will be taken at an early date.

Live stock inspection.-During the year 110 inspections were made of stock yards and slaughterhouses. In order to secure an efficient inspection of live stock it will be necessary to increase the inspection force, to register places of slaughter, and to regulate the hours of killing. With the large number of small slaughterhouses scattered throughout the District, practically without restriction as to change of location and without any limitation whatsoever as to the hours of slaughter, it is impossible to maintain a satisfactory oversight of the live stock killed.

Inspection of dairy farms and dairy products.-Thirty-three applications have been received during the year for permission to maintain dairy farms in the District of Columbia. Of these applications, 20 have

been granted and 13 rejected. Eighty-six applications for permits to maintain dairies were tiled, of which 67 were granted and 19 rejected. Eighty-four applications were made for permission to bring milk into the District, of which 81 were granted and 3 rejected. The total number of permits to maintain dairy farms in the District which have been issued since the current law went into effect, March 2, 1895, has been 272; of these 130 have been canceled, leaving 142 in force. During the same period 829 permits were issued for the maintenance of dairies, 439 of which were canceled, leaving 390 in force. The total number of permits issued to bring milk into the District has been 759, of which 105 have been canceled and 654 are in force. The issue of the various classes of permits just described involves a considerable amount of work, for which the District receives no revenue. amount of such work is largely increased, it is believed, by the fact that no charge is made for such permits. The facility with which new permits can be secured is objectionable also in that it makes milk dealers more willing to move from place to place, and, therefore, less willing to make such improvements as are necessary for the proper conduct of their business in the places where they happen to be located. It is believed that the best interests of the community would be served by charging a fee for each permit issued, partly because the amount so received would tend to defray the expense of the work of issuing such permits and of maintaining a satisfactory inspection service, but largely because it would secure permanence of location of dairies and dairy farms.

The

There has been no change in the extent or character of the inspection of dairies and dairy farms during the past year. Of the farms in the District 616 inspections have been made; of farms in Virginia, 86, and of those in Maryland, 106. Fifty-four dairy cows have been condemned in the District, 28 in Virginia, and 36 in Maryland. The inspection of local farms has extended to all, but of the outlying farms only those within driving distance have been examined, viz, 84 in Virginia and 63 in Maryland. In view of the fact that Congress provided an additional inspector for the inspection of dairies and dairy farms, it is proposed during the next year to extend such inspection to the outlying farms.

During the year an outbreak of scarlet fever occurred through milk infection. The one recorded in the last report was due to infection on the dairy farm and occasioned 65 cases. The one which occurred during the past year is believed to have been due to infection in the dairy and caused 33 cases.

A more extended statement of the inspection of live stock and dairy farms can be found in the appendix in the report of the inspector of live stock and dairy farms. The subject of dairy products is dealt with in the report of the chemist, which also appears in the appendix.

Smoke inspection.-The act for the prevention of smoke in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, approved February 2, 1899, became operative August 2 of the same year. The act itself allowed six months for compliance with its terms, but on the date above mentioned, when it became operative, there was no evidence of any material effort having been made to conform to its requirements. Inspections soon led to prosecutions. At the very beginning, however, such prosecutions received a setback by a ruling in a case tried in the police court, making it necessary for the Government, in order to secure a convic

tion, to prove that the emission of smoke caused or allowed by the defendant amounted to a common-law nuisance. Subsequently, however, a prosecution was instituted in the same court, but before a different judge, and the ruling previously laid down as to the evidence required having been modified, the defendant was convicted January 7, 1900, and fined $30. A few days later prosecutions were instituted against the proprietors of 8 large business establishments. Action was suspended in all of these cases but one, with the understanding that if the defendant was convicted it would be carried to the higher court in order to determine the validity of the law. A conviction was secured, an appeal noted, and on May 8, 1900, a decision rendered by the court of appeals sustaining the rulings of the lower court and the validity of the law. Since this decision has been rendered the various parties responsible for existing violations of the law have been communicated with, with the expectation that they would comply without further prosecutions being inaugurated. In some instances this expectation has been realized, but in most cases the smoke still continues to escape. Removal of weeds.-The act of March 1, 1899, to cause the removal of weeds, etc., has been enforced in but few instances during the period covered by this report. The general enforcement of this act would have involved so much work as, in the absence of any increase in the inspection force, seriously to interfere with other and more important work of the department. Moreover, no appropriation was made for carrying out its provisions so far as they related to the property of nonresidents. In view of these facts but little has been accomplished.

The method of enforcing this act is practically as follows: On receipt of complaint, or otherwise, one of the inspectors of the health department locates weeds more than 4 inches high on certain land. If such land be not inclosed it is necessary for him to determine by measurement the lot and block on which they are situated. Having thus located them he must continue his investigations until he learns the name and address of the owner of such land. Having done this, (1) if the owner or agent reside in the District a notice must be prepared and served on him requiring the removal of the objectionable vegetation; or, (2) if the owner be a nonresident, an advertisement must be prepared, for publication by the Commissioners, requiring the necessary work to be done.

After the expiration of the time allowed by the notice-one week, if the owner be a resident, and practically two weeks if the owner be a nonresident-another inspection must be made to determine whether its requirements have been coraplied with. If they have not, (1) in the case of residents, the information must be filed in the police court to secure their presence in court for trial, and when they thus appear the inspector must be present to testify; or, (2) in case of nonresidents, the necessary formal report must be made to the Commissioners in order to have the weeds removed, and after they have been thus removed the special assessment division must be notified to effect the necessary assessment. From the foregoing statement it will be seen that the present method, although recently devised, is cumbersome, and if adhered to will necessitate a largely increased force of inspectors in the health department during the summer months. The same result could, it would appear, be practically accomplished at much less

cost by requiring all objectionable weeds to be removed on certain specified dates, and providing that if they were not so removed, the work may be done by the Commissioners without further notice, and the cost immediately assessed against the property. I respectfully recommend that the law be so amended as to effect this change.

GARBAGE AND DEAD ANIMALS.

The amount of garbage collected during the past year was 24,339 tons; the number of dead animals, 12,170. Complaints of neglect on the part of the garbage contractor numbered 1,129, of which 577 were charged to neglect on the part of the contractor, 88 to neglect on the part of the householder, while in 325 cases it was impossible to fix the responsibility, and in 138 cases what were formerly charged as complaints were found to be requests for new service. The method of collection and disposal remained the same as described in the report for 1897-98. The usual tabular statements as to the amount of garbage, dead animals, and night soil collected and disposed of and as to the cost and certain miscellaneous features of the garbage and dead-animal service, are appended.

TABLE N.-Offal removed during the year ended June 30, 1900.

TABLE O.-Offal removed for ten years ended June 30, 1900.