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112
The Select Committee on Food Products Adulteration
had it suggested to them by several witnesses that a warranty
should cease to he a defence, and that the retailer should himself
take action against the person giving it. The adoption of
such a suggestion would no doubt put the retailer to considerable
trouble and expense, and the Committee saw no reason for
adopting the suggestion. There is less objection to the suggestion
that the retailer should be required to join the giver of the
warranty with himself as co.defendant in the original prosecution.
There seems to be a general opinion that the givers of
warranties have too frequently escaped the responsibilities for
adulteration for which they were accountable. Such a condition
of things may be due to the apathy of local authorities to
incur further expense in regard to a case where they may again
be defeated by the production of further warranties.
Preservatives in Food.—There is much need for definite
legislation in regard to this matter.
The recommendations of the Departmental Committee in
regard to Preservatives (1901) have not yet been incorporated in
any legal measure.
The recommendation that formalin should be absolutely
excluded from all articles of food and that boracic acid should
be excluded from milk is still difficult to enforce. Proceedings
taken for such adulterations must be supported by expert
evidence, to be met, perhaps, by experts on the other side
holding contrary views, while magistrates themselves have been
known to make unfavouralle comments in regard to Local
Authorities who were attempting to obtain convictions in cases
of milk preserved with dangerous material.
In 1904 your Council was successful in three prosecutions
where formalin had been added to milk in various