39

PL—3l

In this case, as the adulteration was wilful, the maximum penalty was £200 or two months' imprisonment, and the fine of £20 was inflicted in the Magistrate's Court. It certainly does not seem an adequate penalty. Fortunately, the matter did not end here, as the City Council, in consequence of the facts disclosed in my report, decided, not to grant a license to this dairyman to sell milk. Food-shops, &c. —A systematic inspection of premises where food is sold or prepared for sale has been made throughout the district. As a result, great improvements have been effected, mainly in butchers' shops and premises used for manufacture of small goods, ice-creams, &c. So far it has not been necessary to take any legal action. It is certainly creditable to the Inspectors that they have been able to get so many improvements without any prosecutions. There are generally one or two leading tradesmen in each town whose premises have already complied in the main with the provisions of the regulations, or who admit that improvements are necessary, and as soon as one or two have got their premises in proper order the recalcitrant ones have to recognize that they cannot expect to get much sympathy from the public or the S.M. if they continue, to resist. Labelling. —Much time has been occupied in. advising on the correctness of labels submitted for approval. Most of the common articles of food, such as tea, coffee, butter, jam, cordials, vinegar, &c, arc now correctly labelled. The correct interpretation of the regulations is not in some cases an easy matter, and some of the difficulties will have to be met by amendments. Often what appears to be a somewhat trivial point is found to be an important one from the commercial point of view. The District Health Officer, Christchurch, reports : — In Christchurch an inspection was made of butchers' shops, small-goods factories, bacon-curing premises, fish and poultry premises, ice-cream factories, and other food premises, and directions were given where necessary to make the premises comply with the provisions of the regulations, the details as far as the City was concerned being as follows : Fish-shops, 28 ; small-goods factories, 36 ; baconcuring premises, 5 ; fish and poultry premises, 13 ; ice-cream factories, 5. Similar inspections were carried out in Ashburton and the county, with the result that most of these premises now comply fully with the regulations. Similar work has been carried out at Lyttelton, New Brighton, Papanui, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Amberley, Rangiora, Oxford, Cust, Kaikoura, Sumner, Timaru, Temuka, Waimate, and Greymouth, and it is to be hoped that next year all food premises in the district will have been similarly dealt with. In addition to samples taken under the Act many samples of milk were taken in order to ascertain the quality obtainable on the farms, and also the milk-supplies of the various hospitals and institutions were tested. Unofficial samples were also taken of other foodstuffs for the, information of the Department. Labelling also received a considerable amount of attention, and many interviews were granted to representatives of various firms to assist them in getting their labels into proper form. The weights of most brands of butter and tea put up in the district were likewise tested to see that they complied with the net weight stated on the labels. There is work in this district for at least one Inspector who would have no other duties to perform than inspection, under the regulations. Unfortunately I have no such officer. Inspector Kershaw, whom I should be able to solely detail on this work, has also to act as Inspector for the Ashburton. Hospital Board.

Summary of Samples taken.

Samples taken. Results of Weighing or Analys lis. Where purchased. Number, j Nature. Iff -S« B'l P. Si a Complying. g£ , a 813 V _ § 9 _ ffl S fl .h A S fl PH i?i Rendered difeetive in Transit. Auckland District. Auckland (in and around) j. .» Hamilton (in and around) j. .1 64 10 14 (i 1 17 10 8 19 3 4 5 4 7 21 (i 9 14 1 4 3 6 1 Milk Bread .. Ice-cream Cordials . . Whisky .. Milk .. Bread Butter Tea Coffee . . Coooa Milk Bread Butter . . Milk Bread Milk 50 5 4 (i I 13 8 8 18 2 4 4 1 2 9 3 2 I 12 3 I I ... ii Rotorua (in and around).. I 4 7 Taumarunui (in and around) 17 6 6 12 4 Thames (in and around) Whangarei (in anel around) 2 Bread Butter [ce-cream Cordials .. Milk 4 2 6 1 i 1 Dargaville (in and .around)