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Q.-I think I asked you if there was sufficient accommodation for butchers in the Market without causing competition for stalls?
A.-No, you did not ask me that, still that is so.
Q.-In what respect are the Markets insufficient?
A. In the number of vegetable stalls provided. Also fish, poultry and fruit stalls. Q.--Well, is there any reason why vegetables should not be sold in every shop all over the colony?
A.-I am of opinion that all articles of food should be under some sort of supervi- sion, and if vegetables are sold outside the Market you get no supervision.
Q.-I can quite understand that rule with reference to meat?
A.—I think it applies all round.
Q-Is not the proper remedy to have hawkers? Do the Police exercise supervi-
sion over them?
A. The Police do not exercise any supervision over them. they like.
The hawkers do as
Q.-Taking a Chinese way of putting it, suppose there are ten good reasons for having the meat in the Market inspected, how many tenths of a reason is there for the inspection of vegetables? The inspection of vegetables is by no means so important
as meat.
A. If you let one thing out you may let all out by and bye.
Mr. Osborne. I certainly don't approve of it. Of course I object to the hawkers. They should not be allowed at all.
Q. Can you tell us what sort of supervision is exercised by anybody-by the Saninary Board or by your department?
A.-You don't hear everything that goes on.
Q. -What control is there?
A.-The Inspector of Markets is there to judge if the stuff is fit to be sold. He exercises his duty to that extent.
Mr. Marshall.--Does he supervise the hawkers?
A. No, he has nothing to do with them.
Mr. Osborne.-Does he keep any record of vegetable hawkers selling bad stuff? A. He reports them to me.
Q.-Have you any reports within the past two years?
A. I have reports in his diary.
Q-Anything about condemnations?
A. Yes. I condemn a great quantity of vegetables myself.
Q. What particular descriptions of vegetables?
A.-Potatoes, fruits, tomatoes and these things.
Mr. Maitland.-Could it not be got over by having two or three shops and have them licensed to sell vegetables? They might be small Markets in themselves.
A.--They would not be any better.
Mr. Osborne.-Not if they are interfered with by the Police, but the Police absolutely do not interfere with the hawkers and until there is proper and sufficient Market accommodation that is the rule that has been laid down by Mr. May, Captain Superintendent of Police.
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