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Samples taken for
bacteriological examination
94
Numbers graded
Grade 1
25
Grade 2
i+1
Grade 3
19
Grade
9
In all cases Qf unsatisfactory samples the makers premises and plant were inspected
and firms were advised of any weak links in the chain.
ADMINISTRATION OF THE RAG FLOCK ACTS, 1912/28
AND REGULATIONS MADE THEREUNDER
During the inter-war period, attention was drawn year by year, to the inadequacy of
legislation governing the manufacture of certain bed and furniture filling materials most
of which came within the definition of rag flock. The only standard of cleanliness, even
today, is provided by the Rag Flock Regulations, 1912 which require flock manufactured
from rags to conform to the standard of cleanliness provided by the Regulations, that is
when the amount of soluble chlorine in the form of chlorides removed by thorough washing
with distilled water at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees centigrade from not less
than *4-0 grams of a well-mixed sample of flock, does not exceed 30 parts of chlorine In
100,000 parts of the flocko
During the fifteenth century the bed became more important than the woodwork because
it provided a home for insect life. In 149a a law was passed declaring that "ulpholsterers
might use only dry clean feathers and no corrupt stuffs such as horse hair, fen down, neats
hair, deer's hair, and goats hair which is corrupt in lime fats, and by the heat of man's
body the flavour and taste is so abominable and contagious that many of the King's subjects
thereby have been destroyed11 „ Some mattresses had before then been filled with the tails of
catSo What progress have we made since then ?
I have said, in season and out of season, that old carpets derived from dustbins,
rags collected from the tip, and the dirtiest parts of articles of personal clothing after
the best parts have been removed and sold for shoddy, may nearly all be brought within this
standard of cleanliness merely by steeping in cold water and receiving no real cleansing
whatsoever»
It is cheering to learn that a new Fillings Bill is to be introduced by Parliament
at an early date and it is earnestly hoped that the legislature will, at long last, provide
machinery by which the manufacture of rag flock and its use can be more adequately controlled
by local authorities and that a far more efficient standard of cleanliness may be devised
and operated for this purpose.
The British Standards Institution, by their Standard 1*1-25 19^8, provided a
standard for the cleanliness of fillings and stuffings for bed, upholstery, perambulators,
cushions, teacosies, dolls and other domestic articles and these standards covered washedflock,
jute wadding and jute flock and cotton millpuffs, cotton felt, kapok, hair, fibre,
feathers and down and fillings other than those mentioned and, whilst these appear to be
perfectly satisfactory, they have no legal force and, beyond the advertisement value,
manufacturing firms have no incentive to manufacture or use fillings complying with these
specifications except in the case of the Utility Scheme.
It is understood that the Board of Trade have decreed that all utility mattresses,
upholstery etc., shall contain fillings in accordance with the British Standards Institution
specification which is a decided step in the right direction. Nevertheless, legislation
covering the whole ground is urgently needed particularly when it is considered that a man
of sixty has spent about 20 years of his life in bed„
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