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So also with supervision of food premises, the inspection of slaughter-houses,
cowsheds, milk-stores, food stores and shops and restaurants and of foods exposed
for sale; the utmost that can be ensured is that a reasonable amount of care is
exercised and that the consumers' health is not exposed to too violent risks. The
chances of carrying out a really close observation are limited, and the Council
and its officers cannot guarantee at any time that all the foods have been under
their eye, and that as regards their freshness and nutritive quality and freedom
from contamination they are all that could be desired. Thing's clearly unsound
or diseased or obviously stale and visibly unclean and contaminated they can deal
with, but they can g-o no further. They cannot interfere with the excessive and
careless handling- of food; they cannot insist upon absolute cleanliness even of the
hands of the food salesman; they cannot limit the time beyond which vegetables
or eggs or butter shall not be sold because though not rotten they are dead ; they
cannot forbid the sale as food of articles that are without food value; they cannot
even interfere with the vendor who resorts to tricks and preservatives to keep in
a saleable condition an article of food that has long since ceased to be of real
value as such.
In many directions it is probable that the Council, the ratepayers chosen
guardians of health, never will be able to help. In some it appears certain they
will, and in others, they can help, but only if the people see that they are given
the power to do so.
More than once the St. Marylebone Borough Council have urged the Minister
of Health and the London County Council to increase their powers of supervision
over food premises of all kinds, but without success. If the people on whose
behalf these powers were sought ranged themselves behind the Council in their
demands there is little doubt but that the extra powers would be granted.
Some years ago, writing on this same subject, I suggested that in the education
of the authorities as to the need for these powers the people were the best
teachers, and added that "a dozen housewives with market baskets complete
could more easily move a Minister of Health to action than a dozen Medical
Officers of Health with sacks full of hygienic and scientific reasons." When I
wrote those words I believed them to be true. I am still convinced of their
truth, and it is because of this I have used this foreword for discussing the
question of food, drawing attention to the need for safeguarding it from contamination
and ensuring its freshness and the necessity for co-operation between the
public and the authorities if these results are to be obtained.
THE YEAR 1924.
POPULATION.
The population of the Borough when the Census was taken on June 19th,
1921, was found to be 104,173, made up of 63,166 females and 41,007 males, the
former thus exceeding the latter by 22,159.
The previous Census, taken in 1911, enumerated the population at 118,211,
so that during the period of ten years there was a decrease of 14,038.
The population estimated to the middle of 1924 by the Registrar-General is
shown below, and is that used in calculating the various rates, etc., given in this
report. For information the estimated population of each of the wards is also
set out, and for comparison the figures for 1923.
Year.
The Borough.
All Souls.
St.. Mary.
Christ Church.
St. John.
1923 105,400 25,258 26,992 32,806 20,344
1924 105,300 25,233 26,967 32,775 20,325