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6. That the use of preservatives in canned foods is unnecessary,
and should under no circumstances be
permitted."
The question of increasing the number of samples has
been now under the consideration of the Council for upwards
of twelve months, and though I believe the necessity for this
is generally recognised, still, in spite of endless discussion,
nothing has yet been done.
The late Council built to the designs of Mr. Cribb, the
Public Analyst, and partly equipped a commodious laboratory,
which they were anxious should be utilised and the
analysis of all the Fulham samples conducted in it, but being
unwilling to adopt the recommendation of Dr. Buchanan, the
Inspector of Foods of the Local Government Board, that Mr.
Cribb's offer to analyse 1,500 samples in the Town Hall
laboratory at a remuneration of £625 a year, he to provide all
apparatus and chemicals, should be accepted, they asked the
Local Government Board to sanction the appointment of a
second Public Analyst to give his whole time to the work,
while Mr. Cribb continued to analyse a certain number of
samples in accordance with the terms of his appointment.
The Local Government Board, in reply, pointed out
" that it would be obviously inconvenient that the Council
should be advised by two separate and independent analysts
whose views and practice might sometimes be widely divergent,
and suggested that the present Analyst (Mr. Cribb), as
'Senior Public Analyst and Consulting Chemist,' should
undertake, in concert with the Medical Officer of Health, the
general directions of the analytical work under the Sale of
Food and Drugs Acts, and its apportionment between himself
and the junior officer at the Town Hall, and that he
should be responsible for the general methods employed, and
for the advice given and reports made to the Council as the
result of work done by both." Provided the Council were
prepared to make such an arrangement, the Board stated that
they would be willing to approve the proposal.