CARROLL'S BAKEHOUSE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1173, 7 July 1911, Page 2

CARROLL'S BAKEHOUSE

THE PROPRIETOR IN DEFENCE

JUDGE FOB YOURSELF," HE RAYS,

"The public are invilrd to inspect my bakehouse and kitchen at. any time, and judge for themselves. If they do ro, they will understand tho rrai motive for all those insinuations. Come in and satisfy yourself." The foregoing is the text of a nolico placed in a prominent place in the window of Carroll's tea rooms in Willis Street yesterday. All Wellington knows ere this that very severe strictures have been passed-on the bakehouse in connection with these tea rooms, in respect to its hygienic condition, and the publication oi the report has, according to -Mr. Carroll, injured his business seriously, in response to the invitation of the proprietor (Air. Carroll), a Dominion representative paid a visit of inspection (with hundreds of others).to the bakehouse. "Here's the place," said ill'.. Carroll, "I've done nothing to if. since tho report that was published. Here is the filthy floor, and there's the heap of rubbish, or, rather, a similar one to the one mentioned. I ask you to judge tor yourself if the report which was published, and of which I received no warning, was a fair oae. I say that it is a deliberate attempt to ruin me!" What is this floor? asked the reporter. "Concrete!" But this is not a concrete surface. By way of answer, Mr. Carroll pulled out his pocket-knife, and dug it into the floor. It was about a quarter of an inch of hard dirt sprinkled lightly wit'u sawdust. 11l replying .to a query as to why the concrete surface was not exposed, Mr. Carroll said that the floor had been like that ever since ho had been in tho place; it was, ho said, clean, hard dirt, whicli was swept regularly and resprinkled with sawdust afterwards. Why he had not cleaned it off was because the concrete floor was below tho level of the doorway, and in washing it down there would havo been a difficulty iu draining off the water, and it would never do to have tho bnkohou-e subject to damp, as would bo admitted by anyone in tho trade. There aro three ovens, and a "provor" all in a row, and evidently part of the same structure. Before the middle oven, in the centiu of the bakehouse, was heaped to a height, perhaps, of eighteen inches, sawdust, chaff, afld broken eggshells. Why is that here? asked the reporter. "It's there because we uso that oven for nothing else than a. destructor. Wo bum all our rubbish there—it's going now." ' '

With that he.sivung back the oven door, and disclosed the interior—a mass of glowing embers.

"That rubbish you see there is precisely similar to that, .rohiplained-. of .in the -report. 1 ask you, is; there, anything objectionable in it?" '

Through an open archway was tho apartment in which stood the sink described in the report as being "in a filthy state." It was quite clean when seen yesterday. The cupboard which the report inferred was used both for the storing of clothes and cakes was inspected. The cupboard is a kind of wardrobe, which stands about 6ft. Oin. or 7ft. high. It is divided into two compartments, each of which has its own door. One half is supplied with racks, on which aro placed the iron trays containing tho cakes, and in tho other half the bakers hang their clothes. The report would lead 0110 lo believe that both clothes anil cakes were kept in the one compartment. . . The machine referred to in Dr. Clicsson's report as a "butter-making machine" .is a machine for-making cake mixtures, in which butter is used. It stands in a dark corner, but near an open door, and was quite clean yesterday. "I would like to explain," said Mr. Carroll, "how very necessary it is, in my own interests, to keep that machino thoroughly clean. It is used both for butter and sponge mixtures, and before it can bo used to make sponge, it, of . necessity, must be thoroughly scoured, as your sponge will be a'failure if there is any suspicion of butter, or fat of any .-kind in tho machine. For that- reason ..alone, the, machine has to be most carefully scoured after being used,, yet,tho; iv.po.rt. more than insinuates that'this machine is not as it should be. "No objection is taken to ray kitchen, where all the luncheon food is prepared, yet that is not mado at all clear in tho, report, which is all blame. I have never heard of so deliberate an attempt to ruin a man with so little cause."