PURE FOOD AND DRINK.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 135, 7 June 1907, Page 3

PURE FOOD AND DRINK.

HEALTH COMMITTEE WANTED.

GOVERNMENT ASKED TO TAKE ACTION. The adulteration of foods and beverage was discussed at the meeting of the Auckland City Council last evening, when a deputation, headed by Mr. W. Richardson, waited upon the Council in support of the following resolution:— "'lhat the City Council be asked to receive a deputation to urge upon the Council the importance of organising a Health Committee who would supervise the inspection of foods and beverages, more especially the sale and distribution of all fermented or spirituous liquors/

Mr. Richardson said that the deputation came from an openair meeting at which the resolution was carried almost unanimously. Health Committees were established in several of the larger towns of England, and they performed very useful functions. There were mixtures in food as well as in beverages that were inimical to public health/and it would be the duty of the committee to have foods and "soft" as well as "harder" drinks analysed, so that nothing which might undermine the public health was sold. Some years ago the Government undertook the work of analysis of spirituous and fermented liquors, but lately this had been dropped. Ho knew that tobacco was used to adulterate liquors, and that a cask of rum labelled vinegar was sent to a Maori village adulterated with bluestone nd tobacco. He hoped the Council would take action in the matter.

The Mayor said that although he, personally, as far a-s beverages were concerned, did not think there was the slightest necessity for the resolution: nevertheless, he would be pleased to move a resolution that the Government be communicated with, with a view to their exercising authority which they possess as far as beverages are concerned, under the Alcoholic Liquors Sale Control Act in regard to the analysis of alcoholic liquors. Under the Act referred to the Government had authority to appoint inspectors to take samples, and have them analysed if thought necessary. Members of the trade would be only too pleased to see inspectors appointed to take indiscriminate samples of liquors and analyse them, so that the public might be satisfied as to what they were drinking. He had no doubt, also, that if the Government thought fit, they would extend the matter to the examination of foods. Anything affecting the public health should have every consideration, and he therefore moved that the subject matter introduced by the deputation be communicated to the Government with a view to them acceding to the request.

Mr. C. Grey seconded. Mr. U. M. Smeeton thought that the resolution did not deal with the whole ground. Mr. Richardson had brought up the question of milk supply, a most important question affecting the infantile portion of the population. That distinctly was a matter for the City Council, as they had already recognised in the steps they had taken. He suggested that the matter should go to the Finance Committee for a report. Mr. J. Farrelf supported this, and suggested that the committee should obtain information as to materials profitable to the retailer were put into various foods.

Dr. Stopford considered that the inspection of both food and drink was necessary. To have a healthy public there must be wholesome foods, and the public would not be satisfied that they were getting value for their money when foods passed uninspected. In 1904 the infantile death rate in Auckland was greater than that of London — 137 against 134. The high death-rat_ here was due to dirty milk. Dr. Mason had stated that 600 deaths of infants in New Zealand were due to dirty milk. Some of these must have occurred in Auckland, and it was the duty of the Council to protect the public.

Mr. C. J. Parr thought that the purity of the food and drink of the people concerned the Council, and that the Committee should ascertain if there was any legislation on the subject, and how it could be carried into effect.

The Mayor's motion was then passed, and Mr. Smeeton moved that the whole matter be referred to the Finance Committee.

In seconding, Mr. Parr pointed out that they had already done something of what was asked, having spent £25.000 on abattoirs, the only object of which was to insure that the public would be served with sound meat. They had also taken measures to get a purer milk supply, more was to- be done, and the Council had already taken further steps in the matter. The motion was then agreed to.