MILK IN SCHOOLS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 111, 20 February 1937, Page 6

MILK IN SCHOOLS

GOVERNMENT SCHEME TO BEGIN A REGULAR DAILY RATION. ASHBURTON CHILDREN BENEFIT. The Government’s milk-in-schools scheme is to be introduced as soon as possible, and the Mayor (Mr W. H. Woods) has been asked by the DirectorGeneral of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) to convene a meeting of local members of Parliament, education board representatives, head teachers’ associations and representatives of private schools, and organisations already actively interested in the distribution of milk for school children. The first steps of the committee, which will have, wherever possible, officers of the Agriculture, Health and Education Deipartments acting in an advisory capacity, will be to inquire into possible sources of the supply of milk. A pasteurised and bottled supply is regarded as an ideal. In the absence of pasteurisation a tuberculintested herd will probably be sought after, and the supply treated by brine cooling or some other method in preference to water cooling. The committee will enter into negotiations on a maximum delivery price at schools of about Is 3d a gallon. A regular daily ration of half a pint is to be made available to every child attending private and public primary schools and kindergartens. It is proposed that the supply ibe free of charge to parents, and 1 , in asking for the full co-operation of local-committees, the Government is entrusting them with the duties of organisation and general oversight. ' > The Milk Scheme Officer visited Ashburton some time ago in connection with preliminai-y arrangements for the scheme.

EDUCATION BOARD’S ATTITUDE.

DEPARTMENT CONGRATULATED

Details of the Government’s scheme for providing free milk for school children were received by the Canter buiy Education Board at its meeting yesterday from the Director-General ot Health, Dr. M. H. Watt. It was stated that the Government desired to introduce the scheme at the earliest opportunity, and that preliminary negotiations were already in hand in the main centres. The scheme allowed for halt a pint of milk to each child on every school day, and the children who were to receive it were all those in public or private primary schools, those at kindergartens, and also children at post primary schools if that were desired. The milk would be supplied at no cost to the parents. The meeting decided to congratulate the departments concerned on getting the scheme going, and to offer all the help it could to assist in the success of the scheme. Many of the members spoke of the advantages which would accrue from the supply of milk to the ~ children. OTAGO SCHEME ADOPTED. TO START EARLY IN MARCH. DUNEDIN, This Day. The scheme to provide free milk daily to primary school children in Dunedin and suburbs will come into operation on March 8 as part of the Government’s Dominion scheme, which will ultimately cost £IBO,OOO a year. The local committee last evening recommended the Government to accept the Taieri and Peninsular Company’s tender for the supply of milk in sealed, half-pint bottles, with straws.