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49
(d). Retail Dealers and Ordinary Customers.
(a) Retail Dealers—
What has been said in regard to wholesale dealers applies
also with equal, or greater force, to retail dealers. In this connection,
it will be remembered that, in a special Report in the
Annual Report of 1901, details were tabulated as to the nature
of the 458 known milk-shops and milk-stores situated in
Lambeth Borough. Attention was drawn in the Report to the
277 general shops wherein a small quantity of milk (about 1
gallon a day) was stored for distribution in Id. and £d. worths
to customers. This milk was found to be stored in pans and
cans on the counters of shops—such vessels being uncovered
and the milk, consequently, exposed to receive dust, dirt and
flies; and in 119 cases {i.e., 26 per cenO in close proximity to
paraffin and kerosene oils. In 47 per cent, of the milk-stores,
sanitary defects were found to exist at the time of inspection—
defective drains being found in 22 per cent.
(b) Ordinary Customers—
The unsatisfactory conditions under which milk is often stored
in private houses (whether in the kitchen and scullery, or in the
pantry and larder) are well known to all, and no emphasis is
needed to satisfy all thinking people that these unsatisfactory
conditions ought to be, at once, changed.
Milk is known to be such a favourable medium for the culture
of germs that every possible precaution should be taken to
prevent its contamination with dust and dirt, and their concomitants,
i.e., germs of various kinds.
To sum up, it may be stated that the weak points in connection
with a milk supply (Metropolitan or other) are to be found
under the following headings :—
1. Condition of farms ;
2. Means of transit, and methods of distribution ;
3. Storage by (a) dealers, and (b) consumers.
It must not be thought that the Lambeth milk supply is worse
than, or even as bad as some of, the supplies of other Metropolitan
districts, and it is only fair to add that many Lambeth
milk dealers are most anxious to introduce such improvements
as may be practicable.