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Common Lodging Houses.—Seventy visits were paid to the two lodging houses in the Borough: one,
registered for 436 men, owned by the Salvation Army and situated at No. 2, Bume Street and premises
in Lisson Street; the other, accommodating 100 women, conducted by the Church Army at Portman
House, No. 10, Daventry Street.
Rent Restriction Acts.—In order to avoid delay in dealing with applications for certificates under
these Acts relating to the sanitary condition and state of repair of dwelling-houses, the Council, as
Sanitary Authority for the Borough, authorised the Medical Officer of Health, on the 30th October,
1947, to issue such certificates forthwith, reporting subsequently to the Public Health Committee.
During the year five disrepair certificates and one revocation certificate were issued. Generally, a
disrepair certificate enables a tenant, pending the repair of the dwelling-house, to withhold payment of
certain of the "permitted increases" under the Acts of 1920-1938, but is of no avail in respect of
premises controlled only by virtue of the 1939 Act.
SECTION E.—INSPECTION AND SUPERVISION OF FOOD.
Food Analysis.—Samples of 60 different articles taken under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, numbered
705 (64 formal, 641 informal) and included: milk 82, butter 62, margarine 61, cheese 43. The sum
paid in respect of each analysis was 15s. 0d., except in the case of sausages for which the fee was
£1 Is. Od. per sample. Eight samples reported as adulterated or otherwise giving rise to irregularity
are referred to by the Public Analyst (Mr. Thomas McLachlan) in the following report: "The
percentage of adulterated samples is again lower than in the previous years, being only 1.1 per cent.
This figure would have been even lower had it not been for four samples of meat which consisted of
horseflesh being sold without a disclosure to that effect. An informal and a formal sample of coffee
were both found to consist of coffee and chicory, and the only two other samples found not to conform
with requirements were one of a special kind of bread and one of pea flour, both of which were very
old stock and had consequently become inedible. It may be remarked that the percentage
of adulterated samples in St. Marylebone is lower than in most other areas largely because of the
method of sampling. In St. Marylebone it is the custom to sample the general range of foods normally
bought by the housewife and not to trouble to any appreciable extent with those preparations specially
packed to catch the unwary purchaser's eye. Some other authorities pay particular attention to
these so-called commodities and therefore find an apparently larger percentage of foods adulterated.
Whichever method is, however, adopted it is the experience of your analyst that the percentage
of adulterated samples has fallen considerably since the introduction of food standards and labelling
requirements by the Ministry of Food. Whilst these standards have increased the work of the public
analyst in many directions as regards the amount of analytical work required, they have, on the other
hand, made it much easier for him to decide whether a sample is or is not satisfactory according to law.
Where no standards exist it is the duty of the analyst in the first place to consider from the appearance,
composition, and advertisements of a food, whether it complies with what a reasonable man would
expect, and this is not always a simple matter to decide. One other tendency resulting from the
introduction of these food standards is that defendants are finding that the Courts more readily accept
pleas that no standard exists for a particular article. The result may be that the Minister of Food
may find himself in the invidious position of being forced to increase greatly the number of standards
for foods and consequently subjected to the complaint that the nation is being still further controlled by
ministerial orders instead of by parliamentary-legislation."
Legal Proceedings.—Of the eight samples adversely reported upon by the Public Analyst, proceedings
were instituted under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, in three instances involving the four samples of
horseflesh and the sample of coffee. For possessing horseflesh for the purpose of sale for human
consumption without displaying the requisite notice the defendent in one case was fined £7 10s. Od.
under Section 38, and in the other a fine of £5 0s. Od. was imposed, £5 0s. Od. costs being awarded to
the Council in each instance. In regard to the sample of coffee found to contain 27 per cent, of
chicory, taken under Section 3, the ease was dismissed under the Probation of Offenders Act on payment
of £3 3s. Od. costs by the defendants. In the remaining cases legal proceedings were not advised and
the matters were taken up with the manufacturer, wholesaler or retailer concerned.
A prosecution was also taken under Section 9 of the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, in regard to the
sale of food unfit for human consumption, to wit, a bun containing glass. The case was dismissed
under the Probation of Offenders Act on payment of £3 0s. Od. costs.
Milk.—There are 156 premises from which milk is sold. Inspections made numbered 231.
During the year 42 applications under the Milk (Special Designations) Regulations, 1936-1946,
were received from 19 milk purveyors and licences were granted as follows: 1 pasteurising, 20 dealers'
and 3 supplementary in the case of pasteurised milk: 1 bottling, 15 dealers' and 2 supplementary in
respect of tubercuhn tested milk.