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On referring to the table on page 96 it will be seen
that not only was there a considerable increase in the
adulterated samples, but that the number of samples certified
as "inferior" was more than double the number in the
previous year. According to the Public Analyst these samples
cannot be certified as adulterated "having regard to the existing
necessity of calculating results upon low standards." It
is highly probable that few of these samples represent genuine
articles.
In 5 instances the Inspector was unable to take samples
owing to obstruction on the part of the trader, and in 2
cases the trader refused to sell to the Inspector. In all these
cases there can be no doubt that the articles were adulterated,
and the cases should be taken into consideration in estimating
the percentage of adulterated samples detected by Inspectors
Chuter and Herrin.
The following cases illustrate the nature of the obstruction
experienced by the Inspectors
(1) A. H., an old offender, was selling milk from a
cart on Sunday morning when Inspector Herrin asked
to be served from a certain churn. The vendor refused to
serve from this churn, but served from a hand can. The
Inspector having paid for the milk was about to divide
the sample when the vendor's son snatched the jug from
his hand and ran off with it. The father then drove off,
shouting to the lad to throw away the milk and break the
jug, which was promptly done, but the Inspector managed
to jump into the cart and was driven a considerable
distance. He again demanded to be served from the
.churn, but was refused.
(2) Inspector Herrin's agent entered a shop on the
Shaftesbury Estate on 24th February, and was served with
half-a-pound of " shilling butter." While she was
tendering payment, the vendor's brother, who was standing
at the shop door, went out, and on going into a side
street he discovered the Inspector. He then ran back and