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As foreshadowed in last year's report there is now in the L.C.C. General
Powers Act, 1928. Section 29, provision requiring the registration of
ice cream premises. The main points are :—
(1) Premises used for the sale or manufacture or storage of ice cream
must be registered with the local authority.
(2) Factories and premises used as a hotel restaurant or club are
exempt from registration.
(3) This section came into force in August, 1928, and public notice
was given in the press.
(4) Penalty 40s. and a daily penalty of not exceeding 20s.
Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, and Agricultural Produce
(Grading and Marking) Act, 1928.
The object of these statutes is to encourage the marketing of Home
and Empire farm produce by requiring that certain articles shall be
clearly marked to indicate their place of origin. In certain instances,
notably eggs, a standard of quality has been set up by Regulation, the
Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) (Eggs) Regulation, 1928.
Up to the end of 1928 the following Orders in Council, made under the
Merchandise Marks Act, had been issued :—Merchandise Marks (Imported
Goods), No. 3 Order, 1928, dealing with honey and apples, and the
Merchandise Marks (Imported Goods) No. 5 Order, 1928, dealing with
currants, sultanas and raisins, eggs in shell, dried eggs and oat products.
The provisions of these statutes and orders have very little, if anything
to do with the Public .Health, but the duty of administering them
has nevertheless been imposed on sanitary authorities. The Council has
therefore by resolution designated the Medical Officer of Health and the
Food Inspectors as the officers responsible for the administration. It
should be noted that the Government Department concerned is not the
Ministry of Health but that of Agriculture and Fisheries. The latter
has sponsored these Acts through Parliament, and it is from this Government
department that orders dealing with various articles of produce
continue to be issued. So far the following have been made the subject
of special orders :—
Imported Goods.—Honey, apples, currants, sultanas, raisins, eggs in
shell, dried eggs and oat products. (1928.)
Home Produce.—Broccoli, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples and pears.
(1929.)
It was at first thought that the duties to be carried out by the Food
Inspectors would not be considerable. With the steadily increasing
number of articles, however, which have been brought under order it is
found that the inspectors have to spend more and more time examining