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Crew Accommodation.
In lable "J" the number of defects reported by Sanitary Inspectors has not
been divided between those reported on British ships and those on ships of other
nations, because any figures available would be useless for purposes of comparison.
To make this Table of any value special investigations would have to be carried out
throughout the year, and the information obtained would require to be very carefully
tabulated.
During 1929 the necessary data have not been collected.
The question of crew accommodation, however, is receiving careful consideration
by a Standing Joint Committee of the Ministry of Health and the Board of Trade, by
the Association of Port Sanitary Authorities and by the Shipping Federation. The
Port of London Sanitary Authority have been able to put the results of their experience
at the service of these Committees. Though on many ships there are already provided
for the crew accommodation and amenities far in excess of the minimum required by
the Merchant Shipping Act and Board of Trade Instructions, there are others where
the crew's quarters can hardly be regarded as reasonably fit for habitation when
judged by modern standards of hygiene and comfort. New minimum standards are
overdue, for in this respect we have already fallen behind some other countries.
There is every reason to believe that great improvement, in new ships at least, can
be achieved without imposing an intolerable burden of expense on the shipping
industry, and that the setting-up of new standards in crew accommodation will not
be long delayed.
VII.—FOOD INSPECTION.
The facts that the Port of London extends over such a wide area and that
Foodstuffs may be landed at almost any point makes it impossible to divide the Staff
strictly into Food Inspectors and Sanitary Inspectors. There are certain parts of
the Docks where the nature and quantity of the Foodstuffs landed are such that
a whole-time Food Inspector is essential, but there are many districts where the
food inspection and sanitary inspection must be combined. For this reason every
Sanitary Inspector in the Port of London is required to qualify as a Food Inspector,
and at the present time every member of the Staff of Inspectors is qualified in both
respects.
So great are the food imports in London that it is obviously impossible for
everything to come under inspection. At the same time, the control is greater than
might at first appear possible, for Inspectors have not only the information contained
in the Customs Bill of Entry at their disposal, but, from the fact that they are constantly
on the Docks, they have many sources of information open to them, and they receive
the assistance of Customs Officers and others. From experience also, they know what
has proved consistently sound and what needs their careful attention. They recognise
what is new, and therefore to be carefully examined. Above all, they receive every
assistance from the importers, who do not wish to put food of even doubtful quality
on the market. There is, however, another way in which a Port Sanitary Authority
may act if, from their own observation or from reports received from other Sanitary
Authorities, it appears necessary to exercise complete control over any particular
class of imported food.
All imports of such foods can be detained within the district of the Authority
for examination by their Inspectors. Such action is from time to time taken, but in
order to avoid complete dislocation of the trade concerned it is usual to allow
consignments to leave the Docks, on the understanding that they will be held for
examination by the Medical Officers of Health of the districts of destination, who must
have previously expressed their willingness to receive and take responsibility for the
inspection of the goods. This was the principle put into practice in regard to imported
Mutton and Lamb during the latter part of 3928, and was continued until June, 1929.
when the improvement resulting from the institution of examination in the countries
of origin was so marked as to make it possible to reduce the routine examination
to 10 per cent.