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261
[1910
Shops, Stalls, Sfc., Inspection of.—This includes the inspection of all perishable
foodstuffs exposed for sale, or deposited for that purpose, or for the preparation of sale, at
shops, costers' stalls and barrows, sausage factories, etc. The approximate number of established
traders is as follows, viz. :—
Butchers', Provision Dealers, etc., shops 241, Fish shops 105, Fruit and Vegetable
shops 215, and 8 premises where meat and other foods are made up or prepared for sale and
having no retail business directly connected therewith (Sausage factories, etc.). There are
also some half-dozen meat stalls, the same number of fish stalls and barrows, and approximately
30 fruit, etc., stalls and barrows, but the number of itinerant traders fluctuates considerably,
according to different seasons of the year and other varying circumstantes. To
these a total of 11,280 inspections have been recorded, independent to those of the District
Inspectors on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings, of which I have no proper record,
made up as follows, viz. :—
To Butcher and Provision Shops 5,458 visits
To Sausage Factories, &c. 188 „
To Butcher and Provision Stalls 417 ,,
To Fish Shops 1,382 „
To Fish Stalls 494
To Fruit and Vegetable Shops 2,244 ,,
To Fruit and Vegetable Stalls 1,097 ,,
Total 11.280
The conduct of these businesses generally has been very satisfactory, for although
over 2 tons of unsound foods have been destroyed from these sources during the year, a
perusal of Table " B " of this report will shew that the bulk of this was examined by
request and that with one exception, where a few quarts of mussels were exposed for sale in
an unsound condition, the whole of the foodstuffs recorded in that table were surrendered,
and with that exception there was in no case sufficient grounds for seizure and further proceedings.
A summons was taken out in the exception named, resulting in a fine of 40s. and 2s.
costs. The method of constant supervision by frequent visits is, in my opinion, having the
effect in preventing traders from running the risk incurred by exposing for sale foods of
unsound or doubtful condition. The butchers' meat generally has been of a good nutritive
quality, although you are already well aware that in a population of some 330,000 inhabitants
there must be a very large number of families who cannot afford the best home-killed
meat, but it is satisfactory to note that the amount of meat from old and poorly nourished
animals has been comparatively very small, a good cheap substitute being found in chilled
beef from the Argentina, which is now coming in regular consignments, and are, as a rule,
of excellent nutritive quality, the breed and general condition of which are yearly improving.
Mutton and lamb from New Zealand, Australia and the River Plate, of excellent quality,
although of necessity in a frozen condition, is still a great boon to thousands who cannot
afford to pay higher prices, and even many more favourably circumstanced prefer these on