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67
PROTECTION OF THE FOOD SUPPLY.
During the year 1903 a large amount of time and labour has
been spent upon the protection of the Food Supply. This has
comprised meat inspection and seizure, registration and inspection
of the milkshops and dairies, a special enquiry into the whole
question of the milk supply of Finsbury, and carrying out the
Sale of Food and Drugs Acts. During the year special food
cases have also come in for attention. A large amount of time
has been occupied over the sanitation of bakehouses (see section
on Factory Act, page 182). The various premises in which the
preparation of food takes place, directly or indirectly, have been
inspected, including slaughterhouses, butchers' shops, cowsheds,
milkshops, bakehouses, restaurant kitchens, etc.
MEAT.
At the time of the formation of the Borough of Finsbury
in 1900, the Extra-Corporation meat markets came within its
jurisdiction. This market is the second largest dead-meat
market in London, the City Corporation markets adjoining it
being of course the largest. In December, 1900, the Borough
Council appointed a Special Meat Inspector to take supervision
of this market and of meat shops or meat stores generally
throughout the Borough. Inspector G. T. Billing, who had
held a similar position under the Holborn Board of Works, was
appointed to this post. His work requires that he shall be on
duty in the market at an early hour in the morning, and at
intervals he inspects meat elsewhere in the Borough. Meat is
also inspected in every part of the Borough by the Sanitary
Inspectors, and on Saturday nights and Sundays the "market
streets" are also regularly inspected.
The mode of procedure is as follows: If a salesman or owner
of meat calls in the Inspector to examine suspicious meat and at
once surrenders what is unfit for food, this meat is confiscated and