View report page

20
45, it appears that the indignant members might very well direct
their energy to the using of a little " moral suasion " to the weaker
brethren.
One particularly bad case, of what the learned magistrate
described as "a mean, deliberate fraud," should be referred to in
fairness to the officers concerned. After having attention devoted
to him by Messrs. Rowsell and Weeks, a certain tradesman with a
notoriously evil reputation for delivering watered milk, and who
literally boasted and traded on his knowledge of defects in the Act,
was with considerable difficulty neatly and effectually caught by
Inspector Bare early one morning when leaving milk at his
customers' houses. These included not only private persons but
small retail shop-keepers, who had to run the risk of selling this
man's milk and water. One such tradesman was, in fact, fined.
In the result all the particulars were conclusively proved
before Mr. Cluer, who in spite of an energetic defence imposed a
penalty of £20, and five guineas costs, and stated he regretted
the defendant could not on that occasion be sent for imprisonment
without the option of a fine.
Details of samples and proceedings are on pages 64 to 71,
together with particulars of about fifty articles of food purchased
as means of information by agents, and not officially taken by
Inspectors.
The result of this proceeding was not only of interest, but
most instructive.
Certain traders who can "tell the tale" when officially caught
were found to be merrily ignoring the requirements of the Act as
to labelling their margarine or packing the same in the wrappers
prescribed bylaw. Some margarine was found to contain mashed
potatoes, some flour, and others starch, and such interesting trifles,
none of which prevented one or two of the persons concerned
from entering their solemn protest at such proceedings on our
part.