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8
only where it pays cash dividends or where failure to comply with the
obvious requirements of the Food and Drugs Act would result in
penalties. With the employees it seems that expediency comes first
and too high a proportion are careless, thoughtless and conscienceless
in handling and preparing food which others must eat. Employers
have not the same control of staff as in less flourishing times and it may
be necessary to deal more directly with workers in food premises who
contravene the Food Byelaws. Unfortunately, visits of inspection
are necessarily limited and odd acts of neglect and abuse are often not
sufficiently serious to warrant proceedings. They do, however, give
a good indication of what goes on most of the time and it may be
necessary to take a few examples.
There is evidence that some of the practices adopted during
war time periods of shortage and difficulty are being kept up. Butchers
are still incorporating odd lumps of fat in rolled " joints " and slices
of " bread and butter " are often really " bread and marge "!
Buyers should be more precise in their ordering so that complaints
can be taken up and dealt with. Too often it is found that the customer
merely asked for " A pound of that " or " About seven and sixpence
worth please The requirements as to labelling of food have been
tightened up considerably in recent years and fewer exaggerated claims
are being met with.
HOUSING
After about twelve months' experience of the working of the
Housing Repairs and Rents Act 1954 the conclusions arrived at are
that it has been only moderately successful. Whereas it was forecast
that wholesale increases would be imposed and that the Department
would be inundated with applications for Certificates of Disrepair this
has not proved to be the case. The forms have proved to be almost
beyond the comprehension of the average small landlord and the
tenants. The principles behind the increase have been only partly
understood and there has been more comparison with what increases
neighbours have suffered (or escaped) than with the relationship between
repairs and rents!
The most noticeable failure has been in respect of Improvement
Grants. Not a single application was received in respect of rented
properties in 1954 and this experience seems to be common in other
areas.
A preliminary survey of houses likely to be the subject of Closing
or Demolition Orders reveals comparatively few which will need to be
dealt with. The good work carried out in pre-war years, when systematic
house to house inspections were made and wholesale repairs
effected, has proved to have been the means of preserving many
hundreds of the older houses.