COST OF MILK PROSECUTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 546, 29 June 1909, Page 8

COST OF MILK PROSECUTIONS.

SHOULD RETAILERS BEAR IT ALL? Whilst ho was in Christchurcli on Saturday, the Hon. I). Buddo, Minister for.Public Health, was waited upon by a deputation from the Canterbury Dairymen's Association. His attention was drawn to tho heavy cost involved by prosecutions for infringements of tho Public Health Act, in connection with tho retailing of milk in tho city. It was,pointed out that, in many cases, tho infringement was not known to th« rqtailcr until ho was summoned, tho milk having been purchased from. wholesale suppliers. Tho deputation thought that it was very hard that retailers who admitted ;tho offenco should bo saddled with tho whole of the cost of the prosecution. It was also pointed out that, in the early months of summer,, it was almost impossible to comply with tho provision fixing the * standard of butter-fat at 3.25. A sliding scale ■ should, it was urged, bo adopted with regard to the months in question. The Minister, in reply, said that he was trying to provide an equally effectivo and less costly system of prosecutions under tho Act. With respect to the.request.for tho butter-fat sliding scale, that was a matter into which the Department would have to make careful inquiry. Before tho deputation withdrew, a r«prosontativo of the wholesale suppliers and _the factory suppliens expressed tho opinion that tho provision that a magistrate must be guided solely by the opinion of the inspector created a'hardship. The Act slfonld, ho submitted, bo amended to allow ' of other expert evidence being given. Replying, the Minister* said tho matter was ono for the Minister for Agriculture, to whom ho would submit tho request.