View report page

77
sanitary inspectors of the saiitiry authorities in London are empowered to seize unwholesome food, but there is no
adequate arrangement by which this food is brought under inspection. The present position is no doubt due in the
main to the division of London into 23 areas under separate administrative control. It is always open to the vendor
to romove his goods across the boundary of a district to escape the seizure which is the first step to a successful
prosecution, and, if the local authority of one district is especially vigilant, to supply this food to some other district
where the administration is less efficient. Hence, in the absence of a uniform and efficient administration over the total
area of London, the opportunities for the sale of unsound food in London must be much greater than in towns which
have but one administration over their whole area. These difficulties relate to the inspection, not only of meat, but
of fish, vegetables, fruit, and preserved foods.
" As regards inspection of meat, we presented, on 11th October, 1898 (pp. 1107-9) a report in which we recommended
the establishment of stations to which would be brought meat entering London, so as to ensure that all such
meat was subjected to inspection on arrival in the county. For the purposes of dealing with meat killed in the private
slaughter-houses in London we proposed the substitution of public slaughter-houses, provided by the Council, for the
private slaughter-houses then existing. We expressed the opinion that, if all meat entering London, or killed in the
slaughter-houses referred to, were examined by competent officers, and the inspected carcases stamped, and if the same
course were adopted in the slaughter-houses at Deptford and Islington owned by the City Corporation, the inhabitants
of London would be as effectually safeguarded as was practicable. Foreign meat coming from abroad would, of course,
need to be dealt with on similar lines. Dr. G. S. Buchanan has recently presented to the Local Government Board
a report on administration in London with regard to meat of pigs affected by tuberculosis, and in that report he refers
to the scheme for systematic meat inspection and the establishment of public slaughter-houses in London put forward
by us in 1898, and states that opportunity for proper examination of pigs killed would be afforded by the establishment
of such slaughter-houses, or if meat prepared at private-slaughter-houses in London were required to be submitted
to examination at the inspecting stations or otherwise. In giving consideration to the situation of the inspecting
stations for food, railway communication and market traffic will, of course, need to be carefully studied, so that the
necessary examination may be conducted with as little interference as possible with food distribution. It appears
to us that, in connection with these stations, control would properly be exercised over the quality of foods other than
meat; in particular, we have in mind foodstuffs such as fish, shellfish, fresh fruit and vegetables, especially those
habitually consumed in the uncooked state, and refrigerated and canned goods. We reported on 7th March, 1899 (pp.
291-2), on the risks of contamination to which certain foods are exposed, and the Council, in its General Powers Bill
of 1904, sought authority to deal with the dangers referred to, but, in consequence of amendments made by a Committee
of the House of Lords, whereby the authority of the Council to act under the clause was removed, a motion to
omit the clause was made on behalf of the Council and passed. We have, moreover, in a report presented on 13th
December, 1904 (pp. 3147-8), drawn attention to the great extension of the use of refrigerated produce of late years,
and to the desirableness of supervision being exercised over cold stores. We think these matters need to be considered
in connection with legislation as to more efficient inspection of food.
'' In connection with the subject we have considered the petition referred to us on 29th May, 1906 (p. 1428),
signed by 100 signatories, amongst whom were several of the leading members of the medical profession, urging the
Council to take steps for the establishment of public slaughter-houses.
" In submitting, at a later date, our detailed proposals for the inspection of food, it may be necessary to deal
with the institution of a special class of food inspectors, possessing special veterinary and other qualifications ; on this
point we are in communication with the Local Government Board.
" We are not prepared at present with the details of schemes to give effect to our proposals, but we are satisfied
as to the urgency of the matter, and are of opinion that legislation on the subject should be sought in the session of
1907 ; and in order that Standing Order No. A 161(1) may be complied with, we ask the Council now to approve
our suggestions in principle, subject to the submission at a later date of the details. We shall shortly be in a position
to submit such details, with an estimate of the liability involved. We have consulted the solicitor, in compliance
with Standing Order No. A 163, and he is of opinion that the Council can promote the suggested legislation. We recommend—
" That application be made to Parliament in the session of 1907 for authority (i.) to enable the Council
to establish food inspection stations and public slaughter-houses in London, and (ii.) to provide for the
inspection of food entering London ; and that, before the introduction into Parliament of any Bill on the
subject, the Public Health Committee do report details upon which the provisions of such Bill shall be based;
During 1906 inquiry was made by Dr. Hamer concerning the inspection of food by riparian sanitary
authorities and as the result of his investigations it became evident that to ensure efficiency of supervision
over London food supply it was necessary to establish a system of inspection at the various points of
entry, and to deal with foodstuffs whether brought in by river, rail, or road. Further, the need
was apparent for power to prevent food acknowledged by the owner to be unfit for human consumption
subsequently finding its way to the consumer through other hands (see Appendix V.). The Public
Health Committee thus reported in November on this subject, and the Council adopted a recommendation
to communicate the report to the Local Government Board.
In connection with our inquiries as to the necessity for improved administration for the purposes of inspection
of food entering London, as to which we reported on 17th July, 1906 (p. 201), we directed the medical officer to
enquire and report as to the inspection by riparian sanitary authorities of food entering the county. The medical
officer has presented to us a report by Dr. Hamer on the subject, and we have ordered a copy of the report to be sent
to each member of the Council.
The report calls attention to the enormous quantity (some 1,500,000 tons) of food entering London by the Thames
every year, and to the altered conditions as regards the food supply of the inhabitants of the county at the present
time with those obtaining 50 years ago, the tendency being to transfer from London nearly every process of food preparation
that can be carried on elsewhere. He states that, in many cases, the change has presumably been greatly
to the Londoner's advantage as regards quality, as it undoubtedly has been as regards price, but points out that the
removal of the place of origin or manufacture beyond any control London can directly exercise emphasises the importance
of examination of the food when it enters London, and this importance increases yearly as the amount brought
from without approximates more and more closely to the total quantity consumed within the county.
In the report attention is drawn to the sanitary authorities having jurisdiction over the areas within which
imported food stuffs are landed, the Port Sanitary Committee of the City Corporation exercising supervision over the
waters of the port and the area within the dock gates, including wharves and buildings, while the riverside wharves
and buildings are supervised by the several riparian sanitary authorities, those mainly concerned with landing of
food stuffs being the sanitary authorities of the City of London, Bermondsey, Southwark, and Stepney, although Poplar
and Lambeth receive food stuffs at one or two wharves, and quite exceptionally other river districts (Deptford, Greenwich
and Woolwich, for example) furnish the place of entry for comparatively small consignments of food materials.
The number of inspectors employed for the service of food inspection by these sanitary authorities, together with details