View report page

16
chiefly of bread and beer, but have declined on the ground of the applicants not having
complied with that Section of the Act, which, in fairness to the seller, ought to be
strictly enforced, and which directs that he shall be informed that the article
purchased was about to be taken to the analyst, or else that no warrantry of purity
had been given such as would form the basis of proceedings at a Police Court. As a
criminal statute this Act has broken down. Its enactment has exercised a moral
influence, but as a means of punishing delinquents it is inoperative.
No steps have yet been taken to carry out the provisions of the Bakehouses
Act.
11. Diseased and unwholesome Meat has been seized by the Inspectors in the following
intances—
1. At a slaughter house, 4, Brandon-road, four quarters of beef, weighing
618 lbs.
It was condemned by the Magistrate, and the owner, Mr. Wheeler, was summonsed
to the Police Court, and convicted in costs.
2. At the licensed slaughter house of Mr. Wace, in Theberton-street, the carcase
of a diseased cow, weighing 282 lbs., was seized and condemned. On the hearing of
the summons a conviction in costs was obtained.
3. At the licensed slaughter house of Mr. Brooker, 5, Shepperton-street, diseased
meat has, during the year, been seized on three occasions, and condemned by the
Magistrate. On the first occasion four quarters of beef, weighing 336 lbs., dressed in
the same manner as it would be if prepared for food. At the hearing, on June 12th,
the summQns was dismissed on the ground of there not being sufficient evidence that
it was prepared for food. On August 19th, another seizure was made of the carcase
of a diseased cow, weighing 3 cwts. It was dressed as for the butcher. On the
hearing of the summons, the person who sent the cow for slaughtering stated that
liis directions were, that if anything was found to be wrong it was to go to the boilers.
This summons, therefore, was also dismissed, but without costs, the Magistrate stating
his opinion that it was a very proper case for the Vestry to take up. The third
occasion was in September, when 25 pieces of salted meat, 140 lbs. (beef and pork),
concealed in a loft in the slaughter houses, were seized and condemned. This meat
was putrid, and believed to be destined for the manufacture of German sausages by a
person in the neighbourhood; as no excuse for this could be set up, Brooker was
convicted at last in costs and a fine inflicted of £10 or 2 months' imprisonment.
4. At a shop in South-place, a large quantity of putrid meat exposed for sale was
seized and destroyed with the consent of the owner. As the shop was subseqiiently
closed no proceedings were taken.
5. At a German sausage manufactory, 7, George-street, New North-road, kept by
Mr. Peck, 360 lbs. of diseased meat in course of being manufactured into sausages,
were seized and condemned on October 3rd. The Sanitary Committee taking a lenient
view of the case did not prosecute. A few days later, namely, on October 8th, 1051bs.
of meat, still more diseased and very putrid, were seized by Mr. Dunham in the same