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Wales is butter, of which 10.3% of the samples analysed were
condemned during the year 1897—98 ; and a large number of the
samples of margarine were sold contrary to the provisions of the
Margarine Act, 1887.
Coffee and Sugar come next upon the list : of the former 9.6%
of the samples taken were condemned, and of the latter 7.5%
10.5% of the samples of Drugs examined were condemned.
It is confidently expected that a Bill will be shortly introduced
which will strengthen the present Act so as to reduce the practice
of fraud in the sale of Food and Drugs to as low a figure as legislation
can be hoped to accomplish. There is considerable evidence
of the power of the present Acts to deal with offences so long as
authorities carry out the provisions with a due amount of vigilance,
but most of the fines imposed are utterly incommensurate with the
extent of the fraud committed, and the offence is too often overlooked
altogether—as instance the fact that in 1897-98 of the
4,383 samples reported by the analysts as adulterated, prosecutions
were instituted in respect of 2,777 only.
METEOROLOGY IN AND AROUND LONDON FOR
THE YEAR 1898.
January.—The weather was generally dry, mild and dull, with very
little sunshine. The mean daily temperature of the air was
generally above its average throughout the month. The fall of
rain was small and somewhat below its average.
February.—The weather was generally mild and dull, with frequent
rain. The mean daily temperature of the air was above its
average. The fall of rain was a little below its average.
March.—The weather was cold, the mean daily temperature of the
air being below its average. The rain-fall was small and below
its average.
April—-The weather was generally fine but dull, with little sunshine.
The mean daily temperature of the air was generally below
its average. The fall of rain was small and below its average.