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49
cherries returned to the vendors in France, and to be there destroyed. This
application was made to facilitate the return of the money paid for the
cherries. The Magistrate refused to do this, and made an order to have them
destroyed forthwith.
On November 25th I seized 2 cwts. of beef in a shed at the rear of a
house in Blakesley Street. This house was occupied by a butcher who had a
stall in Watney Street. The meat was tuberculous, and was ordered to be
destroyed by the Magistrate. As I had been invited to examine the carcase
by the butcher, proceedings were taken against Mr. F. Clacee, Batcomb
Lodge, Batcomb, Somersetshire, for offering for sale the above carcase. The
amount to be paid for it was 14s. per cwt. of meat, without bones. The excuse
of the defendant when the case was heard at the Police Court was ingenious.
He thought that the butcher, when he interviewed him first at his stall, was
selling cats' meat, and had offered this carcase for the same purpose. This
statement was rendered more plausible from the fact that the defendant
carried on a considerable trade in cats' meat. All the cats' meat, however,
that he was in the habit of delivering, was boiled, previous to its being
despatched by rail. This was done, because the railway authorities charged
more for carrying raw than cooked meat. The price was more than
twice as much as the market price of cats' meat for that date. The defendant
was fined £15 15s. and £15 15s. costs.
Three other seizures were made of jam, beef, pork, and bacon. The
unsound food was condemned by the Magistrate, but after duly considering
the facts of each case, it was decided by the Public Health Committee to take
no further action in the matter, beyond cautioning the owners.
The following unsound foods were destroyed during the year:—
Apples 20 bushels, 679 barrels, 236 tins, 122 cases
(tins).
Anchovies 9 casks.
Apricot Pulp 366 cases and 677 tins.
Apricots (in tins) 5 cases and 64 tins.
Blackberry Pulp 11 tins.
Bacon 27¾ tons.
Blackcurrants 27 half bushels.
Beef 2 cwt. 2 qrs.
Beef (canned) 745 cases and 3,052 tins.
Bananas 3,479 crates.
D