FILTHY CAFES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 109, 11 May 1939, Page 6

FILTHY CAFES.

SYDNEY SHOCKED. DISGUSTING CONDITIONS. APPALLING REVELATIONS. J (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, May 5. Sydney lias been -hocked this week by revelation* in the Legislative Assembly (if filthy condition* in city cafes, whero several hundred thousand city workers liave tlieir lunchoA every <lav. The

matter was raised by the Labour memlmr fur (Mr. O'Sulli\an) who, to one cute conducted liy a foreigner who luid been lined, r-u'ui: — 4> lL is rcmaikuble that jicojiU , who have been this cafe are alive to-day. A« matter of fact, many of them are half dead and others ha\e been in very had health eince learning the fuels." J n another cafe, Mr. O'Siillivan said, lettuce and oabhajres had been kept in a t ll l> of water which the health inspector beliewd luul bpcii tliero for three or four mouth*. "It. was dirty and black with slime, and had been u.-ed by the proprietor to wa-h in." he dei'lared. 'liii! health inspector, he said, had found this cafe infeMed by biii;s and Hieo and (lecoiupoM'd food, and had isaiil that he had in 1 ! it seen such an appalling A r.A.1 , . member (Mr. Mate, South loa~t ) said Mr. O'Siillivan had refer rod only to caferi patronised by poorer people, but if people who patronised better cla-s cafes u< , nt into their back rooms they would pet a t-hock. "1 have (lone it and the eliock of my life," he stated. ''One well-known cafe displayed a inviting nwpeetioil of its kitchen, fn J went, in and found *i>mo surpri-ini: things. In sonu; shops vojretabb's are thrown together in heaprf an<l allowed to partly rot before they are sold to the public" Mr. O'fSnlliavii moved to introduce a bill empowering municipal councils to license all places dealing in food, and to cancel licensee after three convictions, and the Minister for Local (Joverninent (Ml*. Spooner) promised to take immediate action. "I promise the fastest action any Government Department has yet been capable of, -, he declared. Mr. Spooner said his advice was that the Local Government Act only needed to be implemented by ordinance* to deal with the position. One of the weaknesses was that some council* hesitated to pint-r----ente in Mich ca.»es because they were afraid of offending their own electors. (Thin statement was hotly denied next day by several mayors and health inspectors.) Plan for Clean-up. Next day, in le.-s than lixe hours, Mr. Spooner drew up a complete plnn for a, clean-Up of cafe* and similar places, thus fulfilling his promise in Parliament the day before of speedy action. Jli* plan hait not been disclosed pending its approval by Cabinet. The main recommendation* are believed to be: — Ordinance** to enable councils to license cafes and shops. Authority for the Board of Health to compel councils to prosecute when they fail in their duty. Heavier penalties, including cancellation of licenses after one major offence. Courts and not councils to have sole power to decide on the cancellation of licenses. Justice Department, to instruct courts to treat Mich cases as urpetit ones. Compulsory regular Inspections by health inspectors handling food. The Sydney City Council recently adopted and sent on to the Pure Food's Advisory Council recommendations to stop the sale in hotels of drip beer, and it was then disclosed that owing to differences of legal opinion between City Council and Government experts, plans for the rigid control of cafes and such places had been shelved several years ago. The city health officer. Dr. Lewis Dunn, has recommended that the council should use its power under the Sydney Corporation Act to license cafes i and other places handling food, and to cancel such licenses if such p. are not properly maintained. This recommendation has been referred to the town clerk for further report, but this week's action in Parliament will no doubt cause the City Council to speed up its own proposals. Following Mr. O'Sullivan's move in Parliament, Dr. Dunn said that no catw as bad a« the Paddington case cited by Mr. O'Sullivan had been reported in the eity proper, where year the City Council's inspectors made 25.162 inspections of food ohops. Dr. Dunn <=aid there were approximately 800 cafes and eating houses of all descriptions within the boundaries of the city projier alone, varying from places where a threecouree meal could be obtained for 9d up to the most exclusive restaurants. One of the main difficultieri was that cafes might be opened in upstairs premise*, and it might be several weeks fcefore their existence became known. Thie difficulty will be solved if the proprietors of such places are compelled to eecure licensee.