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64 food supervision.
There is a valuable provision of the Act which, so far as this Borough is concerned, is
never used. Purchasers can have goods purchased by them sampled at their own houses, if
they will notify the Department and thus enable the Inspector to be at the house when the
goods are delivered. Moreover, the private purchaser can get his articles analysed and take
proceedings in the case of adulteration without the full formality necessary in the case
of official samples.
* Including 78 taken at Paddington Terminus in course of deliver).
Butter Standard.—On April 22nd last, the Board of Agriculture in virtue of their powers
under Section 4 of the Sale of Food and Drugs Act, 1899, issued an Order (in effect) limiting
the amount of water in butter to a maximum of 16 per cent. The Order was not effectual in
checking the sale of " milk blended " butter containing water in any proportion up to 25 per
cent., the limit prescribed by the Order being evaded by the use of a label. In consequence
the "Food and Drugs Acts Amendment Bill, 1902," was introduced into Parliament in July
of last year and came forward for discussion during the Autumn Session. So many amendments
were proposed that the Bill was dropped. A Special Report on the provisions of the Bill
was before the Public Health Committee in October.
Colouring Matters and Preservatives.— The recommendations of the Departmental
Committee on the use of preservatives (1899) are still under consideration. In May of last
year the Council directed a communication to be sent to the President of the Local
ment Board, urging the early introduction of legislation to give effect to the recommendations.