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6. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS IN CONNECTION WITH
FOOD. Legal proceedings were necessary in the following
instances:—
Loaf of bread containing hessian cloth—defendants fined £2
and £2 2s. 0d. costs.
Orange juice delivered in dirty bottle (2 cases)—defendants
fined £1 in each case and £3 3s. Od. costs.
Hawker selling food from a vehicle without being registered
with the local authority in accordance with Section 11 of
the Middlesex County Council Act, 1950—defendant fined
£1.
7. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION. The Clean Air Bill
was introduced in Parliament in 1955, but at the end of the year had
not yet passed into law. The object of the Bill is to implement the
principal recommendations in the Report on Air Pollution:—
(i) To prohibit the emission of dark smoke from chimneys,
railway engines and vessels, subject to certain qualifications.
(ii) To prohibit the installation of new industrial furnaces unless
they are capable, so far as practicable, of being operated
without emitting smoke.
(iii) To require that the emission of grit and dust from existing
industrial furnaces shall be minimised, and that new industrial
furnaces burning pulverised fuel or large quantities
of other solid fuel shall be provided with grit-arresting
equipment.
(iv) To empower local authorities, subject to confirmation by the
Minister concerned, to declare by order "smoke-control
areas" in which the emission of smoke from chimneys will
constitute an offence.
Everybody who has shown any interest in air pollution has been
well aware of the shortcomings of existing legislation relating to
this subject and it is to be hoped that the proposed new legislation
will be workable and effective. Much progress has been made in
improvements to food and water supplies and it is only fitting than
the third essential to well-being, the air we breathe, should receive
consideration.
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