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60
As a rule the penalties inflicted for breaches of the provisions of
the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts are far too low to exercise any
deterrent effect upon the practice of adulteration, which is usually a
remunerative one. The refusal of Magistrates to convict unless there
is sufficient adulteration to reduce the quality of milk much below the
standard is responsible for the escape of many offenders. It seems
desirable to inflict heavy penalties for repeated offences of this
nature in order that the regular and systematic defrauder should be
sufficiently penalised, whereas the vendor of an accidental sample of
poor milk should be allowed to escape with a caution.
The large majority of the samples purchased in Stoke Newington
during the year were taken by deputy, viz., someone else was
employed to purchase the samples for the Inspector. It should be
stated, however, that in the great majority of these instances the
deputy was the same individual, namely, Mr. Screach, who is the
officer engaged by the Council to carry out the disinfection in
the Borough.
I hope during the ensuing year to have a larger number of
samples taken by individuals who are not in the employ of the
Council.
The practice of taking the samples without formalities in order
to obtain information as to what persons are contravening the Acts
with the view to further sampling and prosecutions, is sometimes an
effective means of detecting fraud, and during the year samples were
purchased with this end in view. After the purchaser had become
familiar to the tradesmen a few samples were then taken under the
provisions laid down by the Acts, but these samples proved to be
satisfactory in each instance.
A pure milk supply is at the present day one of the greatest
sanitary needs of the Metropolis, and if we can also teach the masses
the great importance of keeping the milk clean after it arrives in