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1904]
234
All Inspectors.
Quarter.
Samples.
Adulterated.
Percentage
Adulterated.
First
298
31
10.4
Second
300
24
8.0
Third
3.6
29
9.5
Fourth
300
19
6.3
Year.
1,204
103
8.5
This proportion of adulteration is the lowest that has hitherto been known
in the borough, and may be ascribed to the less frequent adulteration of milk,
which during the year amounted to only 7.8 per cent. The borough may be
congratulated on the decrease because it is believed that it is a genuine,
and not merely an apparent, one, for the greatest efforts were made to watch
and detect persons who were suspected of false trading.
A new departure was made at the close of the second quarter when
Inspector Ward was instructed to devote his whole time to the administration
of the Adulteration Acts. Whether or not this arrangement had anything to
do with the decrease in adulteration it is impossible to decide, but it is a
coincidence that the percentage of adulteration fell from 10.4 in the first
quarter to 6.3 in the fourth.
The samples obtained for analysis have been classified under the headings
of Dairy Produce, Groceries, Spirituous Drinks, and Drugs.
Dairy Produce.
The following samples were analysed:—
Samples.
Adulterated.
Percentage
Adulterated.
Percentage
Adulterated
in 1903.
Percentage
Adulterated
in 1902.
Milk
601
47
7.8
9.8
9.9
Butter
197
13
6.6
7.2
15.7
Margarine
53
11
20.7
20.7
56.5
Cheese ...
32
...
...
...
...
Lard
11
...
...
...
...
894
71
7.9
9.7
12.5