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Butchers' Meat on Stalls.—The street markets are regularly inspected
during the week, but especially on Saturday evenings and Sunday
mornings. The attention of vendors of butchers' meat has been called
to the desirability of providing forks for the use of customers, to prevent
the pieces of meat being handled, and in a number of instances the
suggestion has been complied with.
Bread.—The Council have had under consideration the question as
to the need for fresh regulations dealing with places where bread is sold.
This arose over certain allegations which were made in the Press and by
the Association of Master Bakers, who pointed out the unreasonableness
of strict regulations being made as to the places where bread is made
and no regulations as to where it is sold, and that it is in many cases
sold in the same shop as such articles as soap, candles, coke, coal and
paraffin oil, and occasionally exposed in egg.boxes on the pavement. It
was suggested that bread might be contaminated in this way, and by
being handled and breathed upon by customers. Attention was also
drawn to the practice which exists amongst bakers of taking back from
customers loaves which they think too stale; instances were given in
which bread had been sent back to the baker by customers suffering
from consumption and other diseases. In a previous report I drew
attention to the risk of contamination which occurred through baskets
of bread being deposited on the roadway during delivery.
A letter was also received from the Local Government Board,
requesting information on the subject. In reply, the Council stated
that " they are of opinion that the powers conferred by Section 8 of the