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defendant was convicted and fined £2 and 14s. 6d. costs in
respect of each sample, butter and milk.
Summary of Result of Proceedings.
The results of the proceedings relating to 103 cases of
adulteration under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts were as
follows :—
Convictions 74
No proceedings 20
Dismissed (warranty defence) 2
Defendants absconded 3
*Withdrawn after issue of summons 4
Total 103
These 4 cases were withdrawn for the following
reasons :—(a) Owing to difference between analysts as to
results of analysis obtained, withdrawn, on defendant agreeing
to pay £2 2s. costs ; (b) withdrawn by order of the Health
Committee, defendant having written to the Committee that
the milk had been tampered with in transit ; (c and d) small
amount of boric acid in Pasteurised skimmed milk—summonses
withdrawn on defendants agreeing to pay in each case 12s. 6d.
costs.
In the 20 cases in connection with which no proceedings
were taken, the adulteration varied from 1 to 3 per cent. of
extraneous water, or 2 to 5 per cent. devoid of fat. The amount
of adulteration in all of these cases was not considered sufficiently
serious to take into Court.
A case which appears to show the inadequacy of the fines
imposed by the magistrates in connection with convictions
obtained against defendants for adulteration under the Sale of
Food and Drugs Acts, may be cited as a good example. The
difficulty of capturing these evildoers is, further, well brought