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14
the food traders was insufficient and often unsatisfactory.
These and several other factors had contributed to the lowering
of the hygienic standards which there is every right to expect
wherever foodstuffs are handled.
The report pointed out further that whilst the position in
regard to some of these matters was still not entirely satisfactory,
circumstances had improved to an extent sufficient
to warrant a considerable improvement over war-time
conditions.
The Health Committee considered how best to seek this
improvement. They could, of course, have concentrated upon
the inspection of premises and the service of notices in regard
to all matters falling short of present day legal requirements,
followed, in cases of non-compliance, by prosecutions in the
Courts. They felt, however, that a better course would be to
invite the co-operation of the traders themselves and for the
two parties to work out jointly an agreed plan of campaign.
They, therefore, invited to a meeting representatives of the
various Food Trades Associations, the Chamber of Trade and
Commerce, the Trades Council, the larger firms manufacturing
and retailing foodstuffs in the Borough and representatives of
the Employees' Unions.
The meeting was well attended and after a very full discussion
it was unanimously agreed to form the Hammersmith
Clean Food Traders' Guild. A Committee was set up to draft
a Constitution and to undertake the management of the Guild.
One of the first tasks of the Committee was the preparation
of "Codes of Practice" for each of the different sections of the
food trade, e.g., bakers, butchers, dairies, etc.
The codes as drafted, were accepted as reasonable and
agreed to by the representatives of the Borough Council, the
Trades Organisations and the Employees' Trades Unions.
Every food retailer and distributor in the Borough was
supplied with a copy of the Code applicable to his particular
trade and he was invited to apply for membership of the Guild.
To qualify for membership of the Guild, a trader must give
an undertaking that he will comply with the requirements of
the appropriate Code of Practice and his premises must be the
subject of a satisfactory report by the Borough Medical Officer
of Health. Each trader accepted as a member of the Guild is
supplied with an Emblem, which is of attractive and distinctive
design, which he can display in his window, or on his premises.
The first response to the invitations was good, and a number
of applications were received. In all cases where the premises
complied with the Guild's requirements the trader was
enrolled as a member. In quite a number of cases, however,