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88
Slaughter-Houses.
There were 16 licensed slaughter houses in the borough at the end of 1913,
there having been 110 alteration in the list during the year. The list was set
out on page 177 of last year's Annual Report.
048 visits to slaughter-houses were made by the food inspectors during 1913.
THE RAG FLOCK ACT, 1911.
This Act which was passed to check the use of flock made from dirty rags
came into operation 011 1st July, 1912.
It makes it an offence for any person to sell flock manufactured from rags,
or to use such flock for the purpose of making upholstery, cushions, or bedding,
unless the flock conforms to such standard of cleamliness as may be prescribed
bv Regulations to be made by the Local Government Board. The penalty
provided for the offence is £10 in the case of a first offence and £50 in
the case of a subsequent offence. There is a proviso that under certain
conditions a warranty is a good defence.
Regulations have been made under the Act by the Local Government
Board which provides that the standard of cleanliness of the flock shall be that
the amount of soluble chlorine, in the forms of chlorides removed by thorough
washing with distilled water, under specified conditions, must not exceed
thirty parts of chlorine in 100,000 parts of the flock.
The Act imposes upon the Sanitary Authority the duty of enforcing the
provisions of the Act, and for that purpose gives power to the Medical Officer
of Health or Sanitary Inspector or other Officer, if so authorised by the
Sanitary Authority to institute and carry on proceedings under the Act, and
to enter premises with the object of examining and taking samples for the
purpose of analysis of any flock found therein.
The Council passed a minute on 17th September, 1913, that the Act was to
be put into op ration, and the Food Inspectors, who do analogous work under
the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, were authorised to take samples under the
Act. The Public Analyst was appointed to do the analyses.
The late Medical Officer of Health obtained information in 1912, through
the District Inspectors, as to the firms which used or sold flock, and from this
and subsequent information obtained, nine such firms are known.