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320
1913]
of Milk and 2 samples of Butter as genuine. Of the coffee and milk doubtless a
change had been effected between the purchase of the preliminary and official
samples, while in the case of the two butter samples, by a curious coincidence,
Inspectors acting under the direction of the Board of Agriculture for Ireland were '
engaged in purchasing informal samples at ihe same time, and on comparing notes
we have come to the conclusion that our joint operations may have been answerable
for a sudden reversion to Butter, where for some time we had been given Margarine.
In one case, however, a further sample has been purchased when Margarine was
again sold as Butter, and the vendor has since disappeared, doubtless to save
himself from what would have been his eighth appearance at Court.
In two instances the sellers were cautioned, and in the other 34 cases summonses
were issued, while of the proceedings which followed, 32 were successful, 1 summons
remains in abeyance, the defendant having absconded, and 1 summons against a
vendor for selling milk containing formalin was dismissed.
In addition to the above prosecutions, two summonses were issued against
milk vendors " for refusing to sell." it having been discovered by testing samples
procured from their customers that they were engaged in a system of fraudulent
trading.
The number of prosecutions therefore was 36, or 43.9 per cent of the total
number of prosecutions under the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts for the year, while
the fines and costs from the same source amounted to £124 ns. 6d.
For a period covering about six weeks during the fourth quarter, four
Inspectors, acting under the instructions of the Board of Agriculture for Ireland,
made a most extensive investigation within the Borough, their object being to
discover persons who were selling Margarine when asked for Irish Butter.
The figures showing their total number of purchases are not available, but
as the whole Borough seems to have been thoroughly tested, it is not too much to
suppose that some hundreds of samples were examined.
Seeing that the conditions under which the samples were purchased were such
as to assure the highest possible results, it is gratifying to know that only 17 cases
of fraud were detected, and [still more so that the persons responsible were not new
to us.
Acting under your instructions, and with the assistance of the Inspectors
above mentioned, I purchased official samples from each of the persons under
suspicion. The samples were submitted to the Public Analyst, and in due course
he reported against 16, in consequence of which summonses were issued, and the
results of the prosecutions will be duly reported.
I have not included the above 17 samples in my returns by reason that the
whole figures were not available, and if added would have given a false value to the