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71
Last year a large proportion of the prosecutions were for offences under
the Butter and Margarine Acts. This accounts for the reduced average penalty
In general magistrates are much more severe in dealing with the offences
under the Food and Drugs Acts than when dealing with the offences under the
Butter and Margarine Acts. Of the summonses taken out under the Food
and Drugs Acts in connection with Milk, 24 led to penalties. The average
penalty (fines and costs together) in these 24 cases was £6 2s. l0d. in spite
of the fact that in several instances the vendor convinced the court that his
wholesale dealer was responsible for the adulteration and had his summons
dismissed on payment of costs.
Milk.
824 samples of milk were analysed, of which 37, or 45 per cent., were
adulterated.
Table F shows the number of samples of milk examined and the
percentage of adulterated samples for the past seven years.

These figures show that there has been a gradual improvement in the
Milk suppy of the Borough since the war.
To some extent I consider that the improvement during 1921 may be attributed
to the very considerable fall in the price of condensed milk, leading to
a reduced demand for new milk. Thus milk vendors found themselves with
surplus milk on their hands and there was less temptation to adulterate. The
fall in the price of condensed milk was particularly marked during the second
half of the year and accounts for the fact that during the first six months of the
year 5.2 per cent. of the milk samples were adulterated whilst the corresponding
figure for the last half of the year was 36 per cent.
The average composition of all the samples of milk analysed, for each month
of the year, is shown in table G.