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Butler. — One hundred and twenty-one samples of butter were; received during the year. Three contained a slight excess of water, and thirteen a decided excess. The highest percentage of water found was 21-9, representing illegitimate profit of approximately Id. per pound. More frequent inspection is required to check this quite common form of adulteration. The lieprors analysed complied with the regulations, with the exception of some alleged Wolfe's schnapps, which showed considerable variation from the genuine schnapps. Several samples of ice-cream examinee! were deficient in milkfat. Preservatives were detected in tomato-sauce, beer, and whitebait. Artificial colours wore found occasionally in jams, cordials, and other foodstuffs in which their use is contrary to regulations. The canned goods examined were chiefly from stocks seized by Inspectors as unfit for consumption,, and were almost invariably founel to be affected by prolonged storage, or to show signs of decomposition. Milks. —The number of samples taken during the year under the Sale of Food and Drugs Act and analysed in the laboratory was 2,325. Of these, 1,763 were collected in Wellington City and suburbs, anel the remainder in the chief provincial towns of Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Wellington, and Nelson. Wellington City : The; City Inspector was responsible for three-fourths of the samples taken in and around Wellington. Fifty-three, or 3 per cent, only of the 1,763 samples taken failed to comply with the regulations, and of these more than half were not adulterated in the ordinary sense, but consisted of otherwise good milk that had been allowed to become stale. Twenty-one certificates for prosecution were issued, comprising eight for fat-deficiency, seven for added water, six for decided staloness. Warnings were recommended in thirty-one cases for minor deficiencies. The figures show that there has been marked improvement in the Wellington milk-supply in recent years. When the City Inspector was first appointed in 1916 skimming anel watering were very common practices, and much of the milk retailed contained an excessive amount of dirt. Twenty-three per cent, of the samples taken that year did not comply with the regulations. The percentage the following year was reduced to eleven, and then to six. For the last four years the percentage has not exceeded three, and with more attention to cooling after milking, and to the elimination of the sale of stale milk, it could be still further reduced. While the credit for this marked improvement in recent years is largely due; to the working of the Municipal Milk Department, it is equally due to systematic and regular inspection of, dairies, and sampling of all supplies. Another contributing factor has been tin; occasional testing of herds, when the milk has been efl poor quality, and the; elimination e>[ unsatisfactory cows. Country Districts': The samples taken in the country districts showed a marked improvement in cleanliness, and were, on the whole, satisfactory. The results are summarized in the following table : —

Locality. (Samples receive! I. (Seriously skimmed. Watered. .Slightly below (Standard. Warned for Dirt. I Blenheim Dannevirke Eltham Featherston Gisborne; Grey town Hastings Hawera Johnsonvillc Levin 36 22 11 4 61 7 41 37 6 8 7 J 10 21 63 39 45 1 41 2 4 6 32 1 7 6 13 28 2 1 2 i i 1 2 1 Lower Hutt Manaia Martinborough. Masterton Napier Nelson New Plymouth Otaki " .. Palmcrston North Patea Picton Richmond (Nelson) Stratford Takaka Waipawa Waipukurau Wairoa 3 2 2 1 2 I 2 Wanganui Woodville .. •' 1 i Totals 562 I -1 1 Totals, 1922 .. 467 7 5 2 20