View report page

14
prosecute the cats' meat merchant at the arch, as well as the
makers of the table delicacies. I had hoped to have bagged at
least three, but in spite of all my preparation, the thing was
muddled by two of the officers. In the other case—that of
Hackney—they entered into the matter in the most creditable
and workmanlike manner, with the result that at the North London
Police Court, on May 10th, Mr. A., a manufacturer of meat pies,
etc., was fined £50, and Mr. H., the esteemed dealer in cats' meat,
was at the same time fined a similar sum. This was so far satisfactory,
but it is to be deplored that throughout the whole of these
proceedings, I received absolutely no assistance from the authority
of the district in which this place is situated, or from its officers,
although there is every reason to believe the thing had been going
on for a considerable period. At about the same time I became
aware that a considerable underground trade was being carried on
in unsound condensed milk, chiefly amongst pastrycooks and
confectioners, some of whom I find use this stuff for making caramels
and caramel toffee. Again with your approval I co-operated with
the officers of neighbouring districts, with the result that a number
of seizures were made, and substantial fines were in all cases subsequently
inflicted. Only one of the cases—that mentioned
above—at 192, Brick Lane, occurred in our Parish, but since then
Inspectors Bridel and Mills, acting under my instructions, seized
125 tins of bad condensed milk at 58, Collingwood Street, and
83 tins of sardines at 71, Cambridge Road. At the time of
writing, two summonses in respect of these seizures are pending,
and I will, therefore only add that arising out of them, Inspeotor
Bridel proceeded to Islington, and gave such information to the
officers of that authority as resulted in their making a seizure of
upwards of two thousand tins of blown sardines, salmon, condensed
milk, etc., on the premises of a man who, I have reason to believe,
has been largely engaged in trafficing in unsound food stuffs of
this description.
These cases occurring partly in two or three districts and therefore
not under the jurisdiction of any one authority, seem to
point to the desirability of there being some central authority who
could deal with such matters whether occurring in any one, two
or three districts. Of course the Public Health Act did create a
central sanitary authority of a kind, but I mean an authority with
a department and officers who would make themselves acquainted
with local conditions and requirements and be prepared to cooperate
in carrying the thing through to a successful issue in the
interest of London as a whole. An authority whose policy
apparently consists of criticisms suggesting by implication nothing
but default on the part of local authorities and with no suggestion