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5°
The Private Purchaser.—It appears from the report of the Local
Government Board for 1894-95, that of the 39,516 samples submittei???
analysis in 1894, only 174 were obtained by private purchasers, and of the
samples no less than 27*6 per cent, were condemned on analysis, as against
10-3 per cent, of the samples obtained by officers of local authorities.
fact appears to be that a private individual will only incur the cost on
analysis, when there are very strong grounds indeed for suspect
adulteration.
Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food Products Adult
tion.— In May, 1894, a Select Committee was appointed by the House
Commons to enquire into the working of the Sale of Food and Drugs
Margarine Acts; and the report, which is of considerable length, has
published within the past few days, after an investigation extending over
years. It will not be inappropriate to bring my Annual Report to
conclusion, by quoting some of the many recommendations of what a lead
journal has justly styled 44 one of the most important Committees that he
ever been appointed by the House of Commons." Inter alia it
recommended :—
" That, in connection with the sale of mixed articles it should
obligatory upon the vendor to supply the purchaser with a label setting for
that the article is mixed."
"That the statement of admixture on labels should be legibly
distinctly printed, and so as not to be obscured by any other print
matter
44 That, subject to the limitations indicated in the Report, invoices
equivalent documents should have the force of warranties in the case on
articles to which the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts apply."
44 That the powers of section 3 of the Sale of Food and Drugs
Amendment Act, 1879, as to the taking of samples of milk in transit, she
be extended to other articles."
44 That the maximum penalty for refusal to sell a sample to
authorised officer be increased."
44 That samples should be divided into four instead of three parts,
that one of these parts should be at the disposal of the wholesale dealer."
44 That any person guilty of a second offence under the Sale of Food;
Drugs Acts should be liable to a minimum penalty of^5, and that in rest
of the third or subsequent offences under those Acts and the Margarine. A
1887, the punishment of imprisonment without the option of a fine may
inflicted at the discretion of the magistrates, or court."
44 That magistrates should be authorised to make orders, at their
cretion, requiring a person convicted of offences under the Acts to publie
notification of his conviction in the public press of the locality where
offence occurred,"