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105
DETECTION OF UNSOUND FOOD.
On September 30th, 1903, I reported on the necessity of more
attention being paid to food stuffs when imported into the Borough. With
that object I advised the Public Health Committee to recommend the
Council to appoint two sanitary inspectors having special food qualifications
to undertake the supervision of all food landed at the various wharves,
together with the general examination of all articles of food stored or
exposed for sale throughout the whole of the Borough. In advising the
appointment of two sanitary inspectors, whose whole time should be
devoted to this work, I had no intention of casting the least reflection on
the officers who now perform this work in the various wards. I believe
that all the inspectors do their best in this matter but the detection of
unsound food in my opinion is such a special and intricate affair that it
requires the whole care and attention of an officer, and is not likely to be
well done by an officer engaged in remedying ordinary nuisances, and in
carrying out the multifarious duties devolving upon the general inspector.
The Public Health Committee did not support my suggestion to increase
the staff of inspectors, but agreed to divide the two wards of Christchurch
and St. Saviour by a line running down the middle of Southwark Street
and Stamford Street, giving to one inspector all the portion to the north
of that line, including the streets, warehouses and wharves on the river
bank, whilst to the other inspector the inland streets on the south side
of the line were allotted. This division of work has been in operation
during the year, but in my opinion the supervision of the landing and
the examination of food stuffs in the warehouses require the entire
services of one inspector who ought not to be required, as at present, to
devote a portion of his time to ordinary house inspection. The inspection
of food in the other parts of the Borough is left to the ordinary inspector,
and naturally with very poor results.
Police Court Proceedings in regard to Unsound Food.
Proceedings have been taken during the year 1904 in relation to the
following seizures of unsound food:—
Leo Search, 142, Camberwell Road, exposing for sale upon a stall in
Westmoreland Road a quantity of unsound beef: fined £1 and 2s. costs.
Charles Levy, exposing for sale at 188, Borough High Street a
quantity of unsound pears: summons dismissed, the magistrate remarking
that "pears so soon go bad."
Herbert Speechley. exposing for sale at 181, Borough High Street,
four unsound geese : fined £4 and 2s. costs.
Frederick Challis, exposing for sale at 1, Westmoreland Boad, two
unsound rabbits : fined £5 and 2s. costs.
Thomas Hornsby, exposing for sale in the Borough Market, three
baskets unsound plums: fined £4 and 2s. costs.