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135
As soon as possible after the purchases are completed, the articles
are handed over to the inspector or his assistant. Each sample is divided
into two parts, which are sealed, labelled, and numbered. One part is
given to the analyst and the other is retained by the inspector. Persons
of both sexes are employed as buyers, men are paid 8d. per hour and
women 6d. On exceptional occasions, such as going out late on a
Saturday night, they are paid a little more.
The method pursued in taking what are more strictly "test" samples
is similar to that already described except that the shops in general are
visited, and only butter is bought.
With regard to milk samples, the assistance of a householder is
obtained. He enters into a contract with the suspected milkseller to be
supplied with genuine milk at the current price. Informal samples of
the milk are forwarded to the inspector who submits them to the analyst.
When the milk is found not to be up to the standard, an official sample
is taken in course of delivery.
Samples of other articles of food are procured in much the same
manner as samples of butter.
There has been no examination of any of the samples except that
done by the analyst. The results of his examinations were given verbally
until March, 1907, then informal certificates were given until October of
this year. Since the latter date the results have been given by certificate
similar to those given for official samples.
It was not until March, 1904, that information obtained by taking
informal samples was occasionally used in the Police Courts—not as
evidence of the actual committal of the offence the defendant was summoned
for, but after that had been proved as evidence that the offence
had been deliberately committed. On the 19th October last the Public
Health and Sanitary Committee passed a resolution forbidding such
information being used as evidence. This part of the system has consequently
been discontinued.
There was only a small number of samples bought at the beginning,
and it was not until April, 1903, that a record of the purchases was kept.
The following table has been compiled from the records since that date:—