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268
year, and does not represent any permanent increase on the
customary annual number. Even with this rather larger
number of samples, the percentage of adulterated samples
for the whole year stands at 27.3 per cent.
I have had. occasion from time to time in my Quarterly
Reports to draw your attention to the high figures for
adulteration in this Parish, and I cannot refrain from yet
again venturing to urge you to take this matter into your
earnest consideration. One very fruitful source of adulteration
is the encouragement given to it by the Magistrates
through their leniency to the adulterator when convicted.
On looking down the result of the cases,. I find that in five
cases fines of one shilling were imposed. The highest fine
in any case being five guineas.
•
If the Magistrates could be got to see that the profits
of adulteration were manv hundred times as great as the
losses, they could scarcely continue in their present lenient
frame of mind towards the offenders. Leniency to an
adulterator is cruelty to the poor.
There is one case carried out during the year, which
was performed admirably by your Inspectors, and which
performance I should like to see frequently repeated. I
am referring to a case where Milk in transit to the Parish
was sampled by your Inspectors, with the result that the
consignor suffered a penalty.
This case shows that it is not only the internal
adulteration of the Parish that you have to contend with,