PURE MILK QUESTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 109, 31 January 1908, Page 7

PURE MILK QUESTION.

COST OF HUMANISING. A MORE COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME , ; DESIRED. .At last night's meeting of the Wellington City Council the Milk Supply Committee reported that, after consulting with Drs. Mason and frengley with reference to tho supply of.,milk for infants, they.had to recommend that'- a humanising milk depot be, established in the city, the cost of which was estimated at £2260,, with a maintenance charge of about £1000 per 1 annum, and a net incomo of £400, per,annum. The .Committeo desired a direction from the. Council as to whether they should proceed with the work, ■ Councillor Murdoch (Chairman of the Committee) said tho Committee had heard tho Hon. ' Dr: Tindlay, who stated that tho Agricultural Department would see that tho milk , was delivered to tho city in a. pure state. The Council could then tako up the matter,, and see that it was delivered in proper . condition to tho consumer. Councillor Smith favoured the proposal, because it was so absolutely essential that children should get pure milk. The homes of tho people should bo visited, and the mothers should be taught how to feed their children properly. i Councillor Luke thought the adult popula-tion-should also bo cared for. Milk was peculiarly susceptible to impurities, and lives had boon sacrificed through the state in Which it had boon delivered. He suggested that the- Committeo should re-consider tho Sub]pet/ with a view to 'the drafting of a achcino for a municipal receiving depot, and tho control of the distribution and the J.?™ 3mg of vend °rs. The estimated loss of £400 was' not much against the number of lives to-be saved. Ho moved that tho report be referred back to tho Committee, with a drafted 1 '' a m ° re compre ' lensiyG scheme being ; Councillor Cohen seconded this, and insisted that, it was tho duty of the municipality to seo that the milk supply, was as perfect as possiblo. Councillor Godher said tho Committee had gone most carefully into tho matter, and had hours'of consultation with Drs. Mason and Frong ey Tho cost of a clearing house was out of the question just now. The Mayor asked if some momber of the Committeo would givo further information as to the proposal for a humanising depot Councillor Murdoch quoted Dr. Mason as saying that 25 gallons of milk per day would b'o sufficient to treat for tho present. To humaniso it would cost 9d. per gallon, or £341, 13s. 9d. a year. Selling it at Is. 2d. would yield an income of £532 ss. The Mayor (Hon. T. W. Hislop) said he understood people could humanise the milk in their own homes, and ho questioned if thoy would buy it at a higher price than ordinary milk. Delivery of the milk at the railway station pure was no guarantee that tno consumer got it pure. Ho hoped the Committee would not bo discouraged, but would consider a more comprehensive Bchemo than tho one it had submitted. The report was referred back, as proposed by Councillor Luko.