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14
BAKEHOUSES AND FOOD POLLUTION.
Your sanitary officers have made frequent inspections of
the bakehouses of the district, and usually are satisfied with
the conditions found, but a few of the bakehouses have given
trouble during 1923, and this has arisen chiefly from the fact
that nearly all the premises are too small. Eventually larger
and better equipped bakeries will be built and displace the
smaller ones. The public have a right to demand better conditions,
and certainly better methods in distribution.
You are aware of the efforts that have been made recently
to induce purveyors of food to take still greater care to protect
the people's food from pollution, and especially to have bread
wrapped by machinery, preferably in sealed, waxed paper We
have pointed out the advantages to the consumer and to the
baker, and that the custom is almost universal in America, and
rapidly becoming so in Canada. One feels, however, that the
vendors generally will take no steps in the matter until the
British Public seriously demands this precaution, and it behoves
all who prefer to eat clean food to request for this service, and
not be satisfied till the reform is the common practice of the
country. The fact that bread is being wrapped in this manner
without extra charge being made to the customer should cause
us less hesitation in requiring this precaution. We know that
the method is necessary and that it is coming, but what
really disgusts one is that the British who have led the way in
hygienic matters for a hundred years should lag behind in
embracing this very obvious precaution in preventing the
unnecessary ingestion of other people's filthy microbes, it may
be of consumption, of enteric, of diphtheria, and of many other
diseases.
WATER SUPPLY.
The water supplied to the district is obtained from the
Colne Valley Water Company. It is a constant supply, and
excellent character.
Owing to the war, the Company was not able to cope
with the rapid increase of population, and could not establish
sufficient plant, with the result that much chalky material got
into the system, and has caused many complaints during the
past five years. There is little of this trouble now, indeed the
latest report of a few days ago by Messrs. Thresh and Beale
says:—"This is an excellent water, free from any objectionable
bacteria, pure and wholesome, and well-adapted for the
purposes of a public supply." Occasionally accidents occur to
the mains, but the Company is well able to cope with any
difficulty now at short notice.