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76
Drainage defective 97
Refuse bins without proper covers or in improper positions 10
Other defects 16
At first sight it may seem surprising that so many structural
defects were found. The explanation is two-fold—any place may be
opened as a restaurant without any certification as to its fitness, thus
basements which have been used for storage purposes may be cleared
out and fitted up as kitchens, without even any notice having to be
sent to the Sanitary Authority, or, what very often occurs, alterations
are made in existing restaurants to obtain more room or for other purposes,
partitions which may have separated water-closets from rooms
are taken down or open spaces are covered over. The possibility of
these oscurrenees, as well as the want of care as to cleanliness,
demands that every place of this description should be visited at
least once annually, while a proportion of them require much more
frequent visits. The need for this supervision is as much required
in some of the more pretentious and fashionable establishments as in
some of a cheaper grade. Many in all classes are conducted with the
greatest care in every particular.
It has only been necessary to ask for statutory notices in seven
instances, and no further proceedings were found necessary to obtain
the required improvements.
The Inspector has pointed out to those who are not as cleanly as
they ought to be that when the structural improvements asked for have
been carried out increased attention will be given to cleanliness in the
preparation and storage of food. As a rule, the kitchens are more dirty,
and the mode of food preparation much less cleanly than in bakehouses.
869 visits of re-inspection were paid by Inspector Dee in connection
with work which was being carried out or to places which were not
being conducted in a cleanly manner. 356 visits were also paid by the
other Sanitary Inspectors to those and to other restaurant premises,
chiefly during the first quarter of the year, making a total of 2,012
visits to this class of business.
Ice Cream Premises.—Inspector Dee found that at 87 of the
restaurants, &c., he visited ice cream was prepared. In addition to the
above 68 visits were paid by the Inspectors to other places where this
commodity is prepared. In twelve instances the places so used were
not in accordance with legal requirements. The conditions were
rectified.
47 samples of ice cream were taken for analysis and reported as
genuine. Three street sellers were cautioned for not having their name
and address on their barrows,