View report page

172
Seizure or Unsound Tuberculous Meat and the Removal of the
Signs of Evidence.
The Stepney Borough Council called attention to tuberculous meat
seized in that Borough, in which the signs of the disease had been purposely
removed with the exception of slight indications capable of being
easily overlooked. The Stepney Public Health Committee desired to
institute proceedings against the wholesale dealer from whom the meat
had been purchased, but were advised such proceedings were not likely
to be successful as the sale by the wholesale dealer was completed outside
the County of London, and the Public Health Acts in force outside the
Metropolis do not contain any provision similar to Section 47 (3) of the
Public Health (London) Act under which proceedings could have been
taken had the sale been completed in the County of London.
The Stepney Borough Council approached the Local Government
Board urging legislation to amend the Acts operative outside London,
so as to include therein provisions analogous to those of Section 47
(3) of the Public Health (London) Act, 1891. The Public Health and
Housing Committee recommended the Council that the action of the
Stepney Borough Council in this matter be supported .
Seizure of Unsound Tomatoes and Representations to the
Local Government Board to secure adequate protection of
the Public against the Sale of Unsound Food by Wholesale
Vendors.
On the 18th May, 1911, 80 boxes of tomatoes were purchased from
a firm at Covent Garden, by a local dealer ; two cases were opened in the
presence of the purchaser and found to contain sound tomatoes, but on
the remaining boxes being taken home and examined they were found to
be wholly filled with utterly worthless and rotten tomatoes unfit for
human food. The purchaser took them back to the wholesale vendors,
who however, refused to accept return of more than 13 boxes, or refund
the cost. The remaining 67 boxes of tomatoes were then brought to the
Council Officers, who seized and took them before a Police Magistrate
who condemned them.
A prosecution by the Council of the wholesale vendors and their
salesman followed, under Section 47 (3) of the Public Health (London)
Act, which enacts that:
"Where it is shown that any article liable to be seized under
this section and found in the possession of any person was purchased
by him from another person for the food of man, and when so