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112
ICE CREAM.
In 1913 there were 269 premises in the City where ice cream was sold, as
compared with 215 in 1912.
In 160 instances the ice cream sold at these establishments was manufactured
under supervision within the City, and in 109 cases the commodity was prepared in
other districts and brought into the City for sale. In the latter cases, letters of enquiry
relating to the conditions of manufacture were sent to the Medical Officers of Health
of the Boroughs in which the ice creams were made. It is satisfactory to note that
favourable replies were received in each case as to the manner and condition ot
preparation.
ITINERANT ICE CREAM VENDORS.
In last year's report it was stated that a decrease had taken place in the
number of itinerant ice cream vendors perambulating the streets of the City. This
year, unfortunately, the number has increased to 36, all of whom are aliens, and bear
a street trader's badge issued since the City of London Street Traders Act (Traffic),
1909, which came into force on 1st October, 1912.
The utensils used by these 36 hawkers were inspected and kept under regular
observation. The commodity sold was, without exception, manufactured at places
outside the City boundary, and as a result of the letters which were addressed to the
Medical Officers of Health of these outside districts, it was found that the address
displayed on the barrow was correct in 29 cases, in 4 instances alteration in the place of
abode of the vendor had occurred, and in one case it was found that a wrong address
of "place of manufacture" had been displayed. As regards the sanitary state of the
premises on which manufacture of the ice cream was conducted, it was found that two
premises required limewashing and cleansing.
As already stated these men are, with rare exceptions, aliens, who leave much to be
desired as regards their personal cleanliness, and it is to be regretted that the
already overcrowded City thoroughfares are still further congested by the presence of
this class of unnecessary street traders.
As a rule the utensils are found to be kept in a clean condition. The method
of serving the ice cream has of late improved; it is now, for the most part, placed on
wafer biscuits made specially for the purpose, instead of being put in a glass, from
which it was transferred direct to the mouth by the consumer and the glass afterwards
" cleansed " by being dipped into dirty water and dried by still dirtier cloths.
By Section 43 of the London County Council (General Powers) Act, 1902—
"Every itinerant vendor of any such commodity (Ice Cream) as aforesaid
"shall if not himself the manufacturer thereof exhibit in a legible manner on
"a conspicuous part of his barrow a notice stating the name and address of
"the person from whom he obtains such commodity and if such vendor is
"himself the manufacturer of such commodity he shall in the same manner
"exhibit his own name and address. Every such itinerant vendor who shall
"fail to comply with the provisions of this Section shall be liable to a
"penalty not exceeding forty shillings."