View report page

30
On behalf of the Women's Industrial Council a Bill to amend the
Factory and Workshops Acts (1901 and 1907), in respect of underground
premises used as Factories, Workshops, or Workplaces in which persons
of either sex is employed, was introduced in the House of Lords and read
a third time, but failed to pass through the House of Commons. The
Bill is drafted on lines similar to those contained in Section 101 of the
Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, dealing with underground Bakehouses.
The Sale of Food and Druqs Acts.
During the year 1912, 400 samples were taken for analysis ; of these
400 samples 136 were milk, 130 being returned by the Public Analyst as
genuine samples, two as of inferior quality, and four as adulterated. Of
the four adulterated samples no proceedings were taken in three cases,
the amount of adulteration being insufficient to justify proceedings (5 per
cent, 4.7 per cent., and 4.2 per cent, of added water). In the other
adulterated sample there was 14.2 per cent, of added water, and the
vendor was convicted and fined £1 10s. and 10s. 6d. costs. The
adulterated milks in 1912 formed 3 per cent, of the total number of milk
samples analysed, as compared with 5 per cent, in 1911.
Of butter, 137 samples were taken, 134 being returned as genuine,
and three as adulterated. No proceedings were taken in respect of two
of the adulterated samples (4.4 per cent, of foreign fat; 5.4 per cent.
excess of water, disclosed by label). The third adulterated sample (100
per cent, of margarine) was not taken under the Act.
Of coffee, 26 samples were taken, all being genuine; of mixed coffee
and chicory, one sample, genuine ; of mustard, 18 samples, all genuine ;
of pepper, nine samples, all genuine ; of cheese, 18 samples, all genuine ;
of cocoa, nine samples, all genuine; of baking powder, 10 samples, all
genuine; of lard, nine samples, all genuine; of whisky, 18 samples, all
genuine ; and of brandy, nine samples, all genuine.
Water Supply.
From the reports of Dr. Houston, Director of Water Examinations,
Metropolitan Water Board, it appears that for the year ending 30th
November, 1912, on an average the number of samples of Chelsea filtered
water yielding negative results as regards typical Bacillus Coli (the
common intestinal micro.organism) was 91 per cent., when 100 c.c. of
water are taken as the basis of bacterioscopic examination, the corresponding
figure for the previous year being 90. The worst months of the
year were February (37 per cent. of the samples gave a positive result as
regards B. Coli), and January (31 per cent, gave positive results); and
the best months were April, July, September and October, when all the
examples examined proved negative to the B. Coli test.
The results, as regards the Chelsea water, are quite equal to those
given by any of the other filtered waters of the Thames, but are suggestive
of the excretal pollutions the Thames is liable to as a source of supply of
drinking water. In a water which is perfectly unpolluted by sewage or
excremental bacteria, typical Bacillus Coli should be invariably absent
from every 100 c.c. of water examined.