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30
year; details will be found in Mr. Stokes' report. Ten of the
samples were found to be adulterated, and the vendors were prosecuted
at Worship Street. In one case, although the defendant
admitted the offence (milk adulterated with ten per cent. of added
water), the Magistrate objected to the form of the certificate and the
summons was withdrawn; the other nine vendors were fined in
sums varying in amount from nine shillings to as many pounds.
Since the retirement of Mr. Bushby from the bench there appears
to be no system upon which these penalties are inflicted, and some
of them are absurdly small.
Mr. Bushby worked upon a very simple plan, and was accustomed
to grade the penalty according to the amount of the adulteration.
Thus, in a first offence, if the adulteration was stated by the
analyst to be ten per cent., we knew that the penalty would be ten
per cent. of the maximum fine, and so on; for a second offence the
full penalty was inflicted.
With reference to this matter the following communication was
received from Mr. Paget, the Vestry Clerk of St. James' Clerkenwell.
Vestry of the Parish of St. James & St. John, Clerkenwell,
Town Hall, Clerkenwell,
Bosebery Avenue, E.C.
Dear Sir,
The attention of this Vestry has been drawn to the very
small fines which are sometimes inflicted by the Police Magistrates
on prosecutions by the Vestry under the Sale of Food and Drugs
Acts. In a recent case a fine of 6d. and 2s. costs was imposed upon
an offender who was then convicted for the fourth time.
I have therefore been directed to communicate with the Home
Secretary and the Local Government Board, urging that some effective
means may be adopted to prevent what is practically an encouragement
of adulteration, and to ask the support of your Vestry in the
matter.
Yours faithfully,
R. E. PAGET,
Vestry Clerk.
R. VOSS, Esq.