PURE MILK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 450, 8 March 1909, Page 4

PURE MILK.

PROPOSED MUNICIPAL STATION. REPORT BY Dl?, FRENGLEY. SOME IMPORTANT SUGGESTIONS. A scliomo o£ municipal control of the cityV milk supply is outlined by Dr. Frengky, Din> trict Health Officer, in a comprehensive report prepared by him for tlio City Council. The report covers ,'IS typewritten pages, and three pages are given to sketch plans of a municipal milk station, which Dr. Frengley would «rcct °u the section of Harbour Board land opposite the tramway power house, with enlranoo from Tiiranaki fcftrect and ft railway siding. The Pood and JJrugs Act defines milk as "tho fresh lacteal secretion obtained by the complete milking of one or moro cows," and as "containing not less than 12 per cent, of total solids, not loss than 8.5 per cent, of solids iiot fat, not less than 3.25 per cent, fatty solids (milic fats), and not more than one per cent, of ash. Tho addition of water to milk is prohibited by tho Act. What the Council Should Require. The report states that municipal coufroj should aim at having every gallon of milk analysed and proved to be up to tho standard beloi'o it reaches the consumer. Dr. Frengles holds that 88 ports of water in tho ICO parts of standard milk is quite onough to nay for, A dairy factory depends for if? business welfare on tho quality ol' tlio milk, and quantity is of moment only if it goes hand and hand with quality. But if quality not quantity bo the commercial value, as it. is to tlio Dominion's very valuable dairy industry, no argument can bo addnccd to urge that tho food value of milk which is intended to bo consumed as milk by" householders, and moro especially by children, shall bo less than that supplied to dairy faotories. "It is contrary to reason," tho doctor says, whilo admitting that fanners may havo poorly-fed cattle, "to hope that tho city's children can thrive on the milk of liolf-starved cows." Tlio milk should be bought on a quaJiJv basis as is done by the dairy factories, lms is the only safeguard against paying for too much water, nnd will encourage improvement in both herds and their mi!K product. Tlio council is recommended to itself buy tlio milk,oll a bntter-fat basis and to require tho herds of tho suppliers to bo examined by fiill.v qualified veterinary surgeons. Tho council is urged, too, tn obtain the advico and aidof a medical officer of health as to tho sanitary condition of the supplying farm, and this in addition to inspection of dairies made by or under supervision of the superintendent of the. milk station. Neither pasteurisation nor sterilisation of, milk shall form part of tho municipal scheme, and as for tlio design and general character of milking; sheds tlio doctor stipulates that there shall be no shilly-shally-ing about this important matter. The begin, ning and end of municipal control shall b» cleanliness. Tuberculin Test for Cows. As for the stock itself tho doctor would have tho tuberculin test applied to all cows under municipal control. With regard to this matter, he says, "it is not rational, nor in keeping with common sense, no matter what Professor Koch or other scientific men may say of the unlikelihood of tho transmission of b'ovino tuberculosis to mau, that human beings should partake of tlio milk of diseased animals. Municipal milk should start with a genuine appreciation of tho profoundly hygienic principles in Rabbinical law. Tho safest course id to regard milk from diseased animals—tuberculosis or cancerous—as unclean, and let tha unclean animal bo destroyed." Dr. Frcngley considers that all milk coming in by rail should pass through tlio uninirfpal Station. Milk which can bo delivered to tho householder in four hours from tlio time ifc leaves the cooling station at the farm need not pass through tho municipal station. All other milk arriving by road should pass through, tho station. Recommendations aro made as to (he transit of milk from station to consumer in proper vessels and under tho best conditions, special stress being laid upon tcmpcraturo in transit. Dr. Frengley suggests that municipal control shall "make use of such scraps of system" as already exist, and embody these in uniformity, and manipulate theni to tho best advantage. Financial Aspect. As for tlio financial aspect of the question, (he doctor laj's it doirn as a sine qua lion that "careful, businesslike investigation shall bo made to show that tho proposed system of municipal control shall come within sight of paying exepnses." and ho-recommends that tlio corporation shall pay something over tho highest ruling prico for butter fat in order to socure additional caro on the part of the fanner. Before the City Council builds a milk station; Dr. Frongley holds that it should obtain control of at least 2000 gallons of milk daily. The milk should be sold to vendors at Bd, per gallon, costing tho corporation sd. per gallon, Id, per gallon freightage, ljd. per gallon interest, sinking - fund and working expenses and other charges, or for 2000 gallons, say, a total of .£62 JOs. daily. Sold to vendors at Bd. per gallon, this would yield a profit of £i Ss. id. The milk should be delivered in bottles, which should bo Hie property of tho corporation, and sealed at th 6 milk station before bo. ing sent out. , Tho amount of milk coining into Wellington at present is from 5500 to 0000 gallons a day. That is about two million gallons, or 16 million pints a year, and about half of this amount may bo said to bo ingested by children* in whose interest it is specially important that tho milk should be inspected. About 4250 gallons, on-the average, arrive each day by rail, and tho larger proportion of this supply conies through' tho Te Aro Railway Station. Henco it. is suggested that the municipal station should be in that vicinity, which is also the most central locality for tho purpose of milk distribution.