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9
REMOVAL OF DUST.
In February last a considerable number of complaints were made
of the difficulty of getting the dust removed, (as, indeed, there always
are in the Winter seasons), and the Vestry directed proceedings to be
taken at the Police Court to recover the penalties provided by the
Statute. Thirteen summonses were taken out and, as far as they were
heard, were proved, and the Magistrate inflicted fines in three cases of
£5 each. The Vestry has now adopted a system of providing each
house with a letter "D" for exhibition in the window, with a
notification that the dust cart will collect in the street on two specified
days in each week. The system appears at present to work satisfactorily,
but it has not been tried long enough to enable a positive opinion to be
given, and the real test will be, as always, the Winter. Should the
Vestry continue the contracting system, it is worthy of consideration
whether it would not be better, as has been suggested, to make the
contract year terminate at Michaelmas instead of Lady-day, by which
arrangement the constant complaint by new contractors of having to
remove large accumulations of winters' dust would be avoided. It is
also a question whether a contract for three years instead of one would
not be mutually advantageous to both parties, as it would certainly justify
the contractor in providing a more efficient plant with a lengthened
period before him to use it.
ADULTERATION OF FOOD.
Appended are the reports of Dr. Stevenson, the Analyst for
the year.
Prosecutions were taken against two persons for selling coffee
adulterated with nearly three parts of chicory, but convictions were not
obtained because, although the adulterations were considerable, the
wrappers bore a statement that the article sold was a mixture.
Convictions were obtained against two persons selling milk. One
of the cases was in respect to milk sold in the street in this Parish, the
vendor living in another parish.
The Bill introduced by the Government to amend the law indicated
such important alterations that it was considered better to await its
final passing before submitting more samples. The whole question of
executing the new Act when passed must receive further consideration.