Parliamentary Publications. 



409 



portion of cases than those taken by inspectors under the 

 Act. Deducting these 345 samples and also the few 

 submitted for analysis by private purchasers throughout the 

 country, the rate of butter adulteration is reduced to j\ per 

 cent. In London the rate was 11*5 per cent.; in the 32 

 " great towns''' it was 12*0 per cent., while in th smaller 

 towns and the districts within the jurisdiction of the county 

 councils (excluding the 345 samples before referred to) the 

 percentage was as low as 4*6. 



Legal proceedings were taken in respect of 654 samples, 

 aiid 577 fines were inflicted, amounting in the aggregate to 

 ,£1,075 17s. 5d. There was one fine of ^40 and one of 

 ^21 ios., these being for infringements of the Margarine 

 Act; two were of ^15, 18 of ^10, three between £$ and £ 10, 

 and 40 ol £5 each. The remaining 512 fines averaged 

 £1 2s. iod., but a large number ot them were of trivial 

 amount, ranging from 6d. upwards. Under the Margarine 

 Act the maximum fine for the third and any subsequent 

 offence is ^100, but this penalty does not appear to have ever 

 been inflicted. There have been only five fines above ,£20, 

 and these ranged between £2$ and ,£55, the latter being for 

 offences in respect of several samples. 



