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on the ground floor, descending three more steps and a
sloping passage, and so reaching the tap in the yard at the
back; but she preferred, she said to the Medical Officer of
Health, going down the dark lower staircase inside the house.
The owner, refusing to provide a water supply on the top floor,
was summoned and the case heard by Mr. Hutton. Having
heard the evidence, he adjourned the consideration, on his own
suggestion, to view the premises. On the further hearing he
asked the tenant of the top floor whether she was satisfied with
the water supply and which tap she used. She stated that
she was satisfied and used the new outside tap. Mr. Hutton
said personally he would not be satisfied, and if the tenant had
said she used the tap in the basement he would have convicted
the owner, but as it was he did not think it reasonably
necessary to require a water supply on the top floor.
3. Defective and foul storage cisterns were found and
remedied at 35 houses, compared with 51, 77, and 67, in the
three preceding years. At 31 houses the supply was found
insufficient or temporarily cut off.
Food and Drugs act.
4. 552 samples were submitted to the Public Analyst, and
19, or 3.4 per cent. were found to be adulterated, compared
with 8.4, 7.4, 9.3, 4.3, and 2.5, in the five preceding years.
The very small percentage of adulterations in the past two
years is noteworthy.
5. Proceedings were taken in 14 cases. Seven convictions
were obtained. Six cases were dismissed and one was withdrawn.
Two cases were dismissed owing to the proof of
warranties. In one case, the Magistrate was convinced that