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have been effected from time to time. Many of the butchers have altered their
premises so as to make a special room to enable them to instal a cold storage
plant. The small shops have a small ice safe for meat storage. There are
three stallholders selling meat. One has provided a store with a large ice
box, another has provided a small ice safe at the back of the stall, and in
another case there is no cold store of any kind. Indeed, I have noticed very
little meat on sale at any time at this last-mentioned stall.
During the year the following unsound foods were condemned and
destroyed :—
January.—One box of apples, 18 imported rabbits, 1 case of skinned
rabbits, 2 tins of corned beef, 14 tins of condensed milk, 5 boxes of
kippers, 1 box of skate wings, 1 barrel of apples, 1 box of haddock.
February.—Thirty-seven tins of condensed milk, 4 tins of crab, 1 tin
of red salmon.
March.—One box of mixed fish roes, 1 box of tomatoes.
April—One box of mackerel, 4 boxes of tomatoes, 1 box of skate.
May.—One box of coal fish, 1 leg and loin of mutton, 2 bags of
winkles.
July.—One box of mackerel, 12 boxes of apples, 1 kip of crabs,
2 boxes of mackerel, 12 stone skate, 1 box of fresh herrings, 2 boxes of
plums.
August.-—Four and a half stone skate, 3 boxes of haddock.
October.—One box skate, 1 boar's head.
December.—Five stone skate.
Generally speaking, retailers purchasing from wholesale dealers buy
from samples opened for their inspection. In many cases on the articles
arriving in the district they have been found unfit for human food. In such
cases the retailers bring the goods to the Town Hall, where they are examined,
and, if found unfit for food, are taken before a magistrate and ordered to
be destroyed. A certificate to the owner, stating the food has been condemned
and destroyed, is given to the retailer. This enables him to recover the
amount paid for the goods, and prevents the tendency that would otherwise
exist to expose such food for sale. One wholesaler refused to refund the
money for goods condemned, and the retailer summoned him, and recovered
the costs and his expenses.