View report page

88
THE SLAUGHTER AND COW-HOUSES IN ISLINGTON, 1889.90.
At the Annual Licensing of 1889 there were 75 applications for
the renewal of licenses to Slaughter-houses, and the whole of them
were granted.
For the renewal of licenses to Cow-houses, 33 applications were
made and the whole were granted.
75 Slaughter-houses and 33 Cow-houses were therefore licensed.
My annual inspection of these places, prior to the licensing, proved
them to be in a satisfactory condition.
SUMMONSES.
During the year ending 25th March, 1890, sixty.seven summonses
were issued by direction of the Sanitary Committee. Of this number
fifty.one were taken out against the vendors of adulterated Milk,
upon certificates given by the Public Analyst. In forty.seven of
these cases the prosecutions were successful, the penalties ranging
from 2s. to £5; with costs in each case. Of the four remaining
cases, three were dismissed on points of law; while the fourth
which was taken out under the 9th Section of the " Sale of Food and
Drugs Act, 1875," for the abstraction of Fat, was dismissed by the
Magistrate, on the ground that guilty knowledge of the alteration of
the milk could not be proved against the vendor.
A subsequent case (which is recorded amongst the convictions given
above) was also dismissed upon the same point, the Magistrate being
unwilling to convict, pending a decision of a Superior Court. A case
was therefore granted; and upon the appeal being beard with regard
to the question raised (viz., whether it is necessary, in order to
convict a vendor of milk under Section 9 of the Food and Drugs Act,
1875, to show that he knew the milk had been altered), the Judges of