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59
ICE CREAM
Consideration was given during the year to the provisions which exist for
dealing with ice cream vendors and the premises upon which ice cream is manufactured
One of the Metropolitan Borough Councils approached the London County
Council expressing the view that the present provisions are inadequate The
letter from the Metropolitan Borough Council contained the following paragraph:—
"The London County Council (General Powers) Act 1902 gives the Sanitary Authority
"power to take action if and when premises are considered unfit for the purpose of manufac
"ture of ice cream but it may often happen that such commodity is made for a considerable
"time upon most unsuitable premises without discovery It is considered that as in the
"case of milk vendors a system of compulsory registration of ice cream vendors should be
"introduced and I am further directed to request your Council to consider the advisability
"of including a clause in their next General Powers to give effect to this suggestion"
The County Council were advised that the powers already possessed by the
Local Sanitary Authorities in London are if duly exercised sufficient to protect the
public from dangers arising from the consumption of ice cream Before giving
further consideration to the question raised however the Council desired to ascertain
the views of Local Sanitary Authorities thereon and approached the Corporation
accordingly
In my opinion there is something to be said in favour of compulsory registration
for although the requirements with respect to the sanitation of premises on
which ice cream is manufactured sold or stored and the precautions necessary in
case of infection and notification of infection may be adequate there is some
uncertainty in a district like the City in being sure that the commodity sold by
itinerant vendors is prepared under satisfactory conditions and under adequate
supervision
There are in the City a considerable number of these itinerants and periodically
the names and addresses of the persons from whom a vendor obtains the commodity
or if the vendor is the actual manufacturer the name and address of the vendor
is noted and a communication forwarded to the Medical Officer of Health of the
district in which this address is situate This is necessary because the fact that
ice cream is manufactured or stored at the address stated may not be known to
the Medical Officer of Health of that area since possibly the vendor may sell only
within the City area
I think it would be a better procedure if all persons manufacturing selling or
storing ice cream were required to be registered in the district in which the commodity
is manufactured or stored and if all itinerant vendors were required to
indicate the fact of registration on the barrow also the registered address
If this were the case no communications would require to be forwarded to the
Medical Officers of Health of outside districts the fact of registration would be
sufficient guarantee that the premises on which the commodity was manufactured
or stored were subjected to continuous supervision Without this intimation it is
necessary to make periodical enquiries of the Medical Officers of Health as to whether
the places of manufacture or storage are in all respects satisfactory
For these reasons therefore I am of opinion that compulsory registration of
ice cream vendors with the Local Authority in which the premises where the commodity
is prepared are situate should be introduced and the County Council
have been notified accordingly
ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS STONEY LANE HOUNDSDITCH
These Buildings erected by the late Commissioners of Sewers and opened in
January 1885 stand upon ground formerly the site of several courts and alleys in
the Ward of Portsoken
There are five "blocks" of Dwellings severally named King's Queen's
Prince's North and South designed for occupation by persons of the artizan class
some of the ground floors being let as shops The Buildings contain 501 rooms
arranged in 241 tenements and are occupied by 775 persons compared with 805 in
1920 73 per cent are adults and 27 per cent children (under 14 years)
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