BETTER MILK DELIVERY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 300, 17 December 1921, Page 5

BETTER MILK DELIVERY.

WEI PTJBIIC GIVE StTPPORT ? SOME PAST EXPERIENCES. A considerable amount of interest is being taken in the matter of hygienic methods of delivering milk, which was discussed by the council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, as ■reported in yesterday's "Star." "There is no question of the urgent need of attention to this matter," said Dr. Purchas in a brief interview, "and sealed bottles seem to be the only satisfactory solution. 1 am veiy much interested in seeing a movement towards better delivery of foodstuffs generally. There is meat, for instance, among other articles of food which should not be left exposed to the atmosphere and flies, as it now is in very many cases. This is a big subject, very deserving of attention." Similar opinions were expressed by other leading medical men when approached. * ANOTHER ASPECT. "Milk in bottles! I lost thousands ot pounds by putting milk into bottles, so I suppose I may be said to know something about it," said one prominent business man. when interviewed. "My opinion is that the public are very ungrateful, and won't pay for any of it," he continued. "I notice a member of the Chamber of Commerce describes us as being twenty yeaTs behind the times. It was ten years ago that I was forced to the conclusion that I was twenty years ahead of the times. I lost a child through illness, the origin of which was ascribed ao the consumption of nonhygienic milk, and it was owing to that and not through a desire to make more money that I endeavoured to render a public service by financially promoting a hygienic milk delivery. My experience was enlightening. I found that where a child had already got ill the parents would buy our milk in bottles, but so soon as it rcovered they would revert to the cheaper delivery in bulk, so that there was no continuity in service. The bottles, which were of glass, were returned, thoroughly scalded and washed and refilled, but we found that the cost of recovering these bottles and making them ready for use again was almost as heavy as their initial cost. There was no real demand on the part of the public for pure milk. One case that may be mentioned as of our experience, was that of a nursing home which deserted us and dealt with a vendor who delivered milk in the ordinary way because our milk cost id a gallon more than the other man's. The public are grateful for mercies to be received, but not for those received," he concluded. THE COST PROHIBITIVE. The representative of a leading local firm of milk vendors when interviewed, said milk delivered in bottles would be, of course, the ideal method, but the cost would be prohibitive. The present cost of delivery was so high that it was very unlikely that the public would stand such an increase, and could not be expected to do so. If the people were educated up to it they might do so, but the speaker thought this very doubtful. In reply to the suggestion that the problem might be sojj-ed by the municipal authorities taking over control, he replied that in Wellington the municipal authorities controlled the operations of the milk vendors who were charging more than was charged in Auckland, and yet were unaWlc to afford to deliver mSJc in bottles. If there was a local factory for the manufacture of these bottles it might help towards a solution, but this also was apparently impracticable. The cost of the sealed mugs in which cream was sold at the present time had increased from 100 to 150 per cent, .n the past few years, and bottles for milk would have to have a much greater capacity. A bottle that could be used over_ again would not be the ideal. The present day delivery, he continued, was not so bad as wasmade out, if their customers would look after the milk properly after receiving delivery. Every care was taken to preserve hygienice conditions, and the health inspectors were always about to see to this. The suggestion that had been made from one quarter that some of the cans used by city vendors were old ones rejected by country factories was absolutely wrong and even ridiculous. It would be prevented by the health inspectors. Also there we're no cans used for delivery in the city containing any preservative. The keenness of competition in the city, concluded the speaker, was a sufficient guarantee to the public that the utmost cleanliness and care would be observed by their milk suppliers.