DIRTY DAIRIES.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17747, 26 April 1923, Page 5

DIRTY DAIRIES.

BURGESSES' ASSOCIATION NOT SATISFIED.

The Minister of Agriculture is to be approached by th© United Burgesses' Association regarding dirty dairies, and the mode of inspection to bo employed.. The matter was discussed at tno meeting of the Association on Tuesday night. The District Superintendent of the Department of Agncultuie, Mr J. Kerrigan, M.It.C.V.S., wrote stating that it appeared there had been some mist-undeist-anding regarding the supervision ol' dairies, and it advisable for him to make the position clear. The utensils used and the sanitary condition of dairies supplying factories for the production of butter and cheese were under the supervision of the Dairy Division of the Department, and enquiries regarding them should be sent to Wellington. The sanitary condition of registered dairies supp.ying milk and cream for human consumption, and all livo stock connected therewith, wero under t-lie Live Stock Division of tlio Department. As soon as the products from registered dairies left the dairies ana were offered for sale as food,, they came under the Health Department, which dealt with any infringement of the regulations pertaining to the tale of lood. Qaal.fi.d veterinarians and trained stock inspectors carried out the provisions of the Stock Act so far as the health of stock was concerned, and they also dealt with the conditic-ng under which milk for human consumption was produced. The Dairy D paitm nt dealt ivith the production of butter and cheese and the condition of dairies and utensils for such purposes. The H.alth Department dealt with the pi oducts offered for sale as food. He was not in a position to fully answer all the questions asked, but he could assure the Association that all stocik used for the production of milk for human consumption wore carefully examined by offi ers who were experts nt the work. All stnek showing symptoms of any of the diseases enumerated in the Steele Act were condemned, and any stock suspected of being affected with tuberculosis were tested, and if they re-acted were condemned. A very lai'ge number of visits of inspection were made monthly, and in each instance a report was furnished regarding the condition of the milking shed, the condition of the yards, and condition of the herd, the of miik, the condition of utensils, the water supply, the drainage, the cooling of the milk, the handling of the milk, and the vehicles used. Instructions were given regarding any necessary improvements, and if these were not carried out the registration of the dairy was cancelled or refused, as the case might be. A copy of the Association's letter had been e?nt to the hmd office. Mr It. B. D alley said he had interviewed Mr Kerrigan, and he had found out that the inspection of dairies was in the hands of the Dairy Department •and not the Live Stock Department-. The former Department had its headquarters in Wellington and not in Oliristohairoh. He had authority for stating that no butter manufactured in Canterbury was equal to the "superfine" sold in Auckland. Otngo butter was much superior to the Canterbury Gutter, and, in fact. Canterbury was inferior to every other province in that respect. In the North Island there had been 20 dairy inspectors for some time, and in the South four had only recently been appointed. In regard to dirty dairies, he said that there had been wor<se cases than had been brought to light. Since the matter 'had been brought up, he had seen some dairies which would not be recognised to-dav; they had been cleaned'. He thought that the Association should have gone direct to the Minister of Agriculture in the matter. Four factories had combined to pay inspectors, who, however) would only inspect the dairies which supplied those four factories. To be satisfactory, the inspectors must visit all dairies, and they should not be kept by the butter factories, but be controlled by the Government. Mr Da Hoy said that only graded butter was exported' to England, and the inferior butter was sold locally. Meat was inspected before it was sold in Christchurch, and why should butter not be inspected also-? Why should the English consumer alone have his butter guaranteed? j The chairman (Mr G. F. Allen) said ] the Association should be careful to tackle the question in the right way. "It will never be right till we get the proper inspectors from the Department," he said; "we want- to show that we are not sati?fi"d with the system." Mr D.illey stated that, those factories which bad refused to contribute to the upkeep of inspectors would' not be inspected at all. Only independent inspectors would have the courage to prosecute where they should. _ j Mr A. R. Blank: I am of the impression that if the inspectors are appointed by the fnctories they arc worthless. Anybody might be appointed. I don't think this matter should be left over until another mooting. A letter should be sent to the Minist r of Agriculture nnd to the Canterbury members of Parliament. In reply to a question, Mr Dalley said that people were prosecuted for having too much water in their butter, but nothing was done when it was dirty or lcw-gradk. After further discussion it was decided that the secretary and Mr Dallev should be empowered to draw up a letter and forward it to the Minister of Agriculture and other Departments and people concerned.