View report page

12
Owing to the absence of any standards other than milk, local authorities,
Public analysts and others are continually faced with new problems that at
present can only be solved in the High Court. The "What is whisky" case,
referred to on p. 130, may be quoted as a case in point. Manufactured articles
such as chocolate are difficult to deal with, and it seems a hardship that cases
of this kind can only be satisfactorily settled by appeal to the Law Courts at
great cost both to traders and the local authority concerned.
If a further illustration of the present unsatisfactory state of affairs is
required, mention may be made of the vexed question of preservatives and
colouring matter in food, which has been practically in abeyance since the
Departmental Committee, appointed by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries,
reported thereon on 16th January, 1901.
The requirements of the existing Sale of Food and Drugs Acts are in some
respects of such a cumbersome nature as to be a positive bar to taking action
against offenders under these statutes. This is shown in the last Annual
Report (1908-1909) of the Local Government Board, where a case in West
Sussex is referred to, where
"an habitual offender, a hawker, having no regular place of business, was
"found selling margarine as butter, and was dealt with under the ordinary
"law. Had a formal sample been obtained, divided and submitted for
"analysis under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts, the vendor would
"have had time to abscond, but on receipt of the certificate of analysis
"of an informal sample, a warrant was applied for, and the vendor was
"arrested, charged with obtaining money by false pretences, and (as
"there were several previous convictions recorded against him) sentenced
"to three months' hard labour."
I regret to have to record the retirement, after twenty-nine years' loyal
and faithful service, of Mr. G. P. Terrett, who had held the office of Chief
Inspector of Slaughterhouses and Meat for the last seven years, previous to
which he was Senior Inspector for seven years.
The vacancy thus created was filled by Mr. T. Dunlop Young,
M.R.C.Y.S.
AREA.
The City of London Registration District comprises an area of 672.7 acres
(excluding tidal water and foreshore), or 1.051 square miles, equal to a
square of 1.0252 miles to a side.
The area of "Registration London" is 74,817 acres (excluding tidal water
and foreshore), or 116.9 square miles, equal to a square of 10.81 miles to a
side.