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of Section 3 of the Act of 1899, and the responsibilities vested in
the Central Authority by sub-section 2 of the same section; and the
Board of Agriculture asked the Poplar Borough Council to consider
whether it would not be desirable to give directions for a
larger number of samples per annum to be taken for analysis.
The Sections of the Act referred to above are as follows:—
3.—(1.) It shall be the duty of every local authority entrusted
with the execution of the laws relating to the sale of
food and drugs to appoint a public analyst, and put in force
from time to time, as occasion may arise, the powers with
which they are invested, so as to provide proper securities
for the sale of food and drugs in a pure and genuine condition,
and in particular to direct their officers to take samples
for analysis.
(2.) If the Local Government Board or Board of
Agriculture, after communication with a Local Authority, are
of opinion that the Local Authority have failed to execute
or enforce any of the provisions of the Sale of Food and
Drugs Acts in relation to any article of food, and that their
failure affects the general interest of the consumer or the
general interests of agriculture in the United Kingdom, as
the case may be, the Board concerned may, by order, empower
an officer of the Board to execute and enforce those
provisions or to procure the execution and enforcement thereof
in relation to any article of food mentioned in the order.
Sub-section 3 provides that the expenses incurred under any
order made under sub-section 2 shall be paid by the local authority.
The Board of Agriculture considered that at least three samples
per annum should be taken per 1,000 of the population. The
present number in Poplar is 2.2 per 1,000, which, with the exception
of St. Pancras (2.1) is the lowest in London, the average
—exclusive of the City—being 3.7.
At the present time the Council is in communication with the
Local Government Board respecting the work of analysing samples
under the Food and Drugs and Margarine Acts.