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Report of the Medical Officer of Health.
173
advantage of it themselves will not give a warranty with consignments
unless compelled for trade reasons to do so.
The difficulties under which Borough Councils and their officers
labour when "warranty" is pleaded can never be too often nor too
strongly emphasised, and there seems to be great need of further
combined efforts on the part of local authorities to endeavour to obtain
the entire abolition of this means of defence, for without this being done
the powers with which they are invested and the endeavours of their
officers to obtain for the public a pure good supply will be in many
instances rendered useless.
The real difficulty which occurs in the administration of the
Adulteration Acts in so far as milk is concerned is the fact that no
distinctive marking is required for receptacles containing separated
and skimmed milk.
An ever-increasing number of vendors are vending both articles
at one and the same time, and the practice of selling separated milk
as pure new milk is still very prevalent.
Both cans are carried upon one cart, and, of course, when a vendor
is accosted by any stranger, who might possibly be the inspector's
deputy, genuine milk is sold, whilst to ordinary customers he serves
separated milk.
The Corporation of the City of Chicago and their officials have
had their eyes open for some time to this means of fraud, and they
have consequently included in their local legislative act the following
section:—
"Any milk vendor who shall offer for sale any milk from which
the cream or any part thereof shall have been taken, shall
offer the same as skimmed milk and not otherwise, and no
driver, servant, or agent of any such vendor, shall offer
for sale, or sell, or deliver, any such milk from which the
cream or any part thereof shall have been taken unless the
can, vessel, package, or receptacle, shall be kept painted
bright red, and shall have painted on two sides thereof in
plain black letters not less than three inches in height and
not less than six inches from the top of the said can the
words ' skimmed milk,' and no skimmed milk shall be sold