MUNICIPAL MILK DEPOT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 597, 27 August 1909, Page 8

MUNICIPAL MILK DEPOT.

QUESTION OF SITE. , : 'DEPUTATION TO HON. J. A. MILLAR.The need for,a central site on which to es:, tablish a'municipal depot for the reception and distribution of milk at Wellington : 'was brought under the notice.-of the Hon. J. A. Millar (11 in;ister -for Railways)'by a deputation from'the City Council yesterday. .. . •' The Mayor (Dr.'Neivman)'. prefaced' bis remarks by stating that it was considered'timo .steps' were'taken', to. ensuro a pure x milk,-. supply for the city. It'was known tlial'a'number of children died every year from tlie effects of unwholesome milk. 'What was .wanted'was' a ,cen';trai site' near .'the railway, and; if .the.Ministor could see his way to give the'council'a piece of ■ land for the purpbso it would go a long way towards assisting tlie'movement; ■ Of .'the'4Boo gallons of milk which came ihto Wellington every i day only 850 were brought by '.-cart."- .'lrcquldbo shown that the proportion of train-borne iuilk ..was gradually increasing. -There ,c6uld be no doubt: but >that the Agric'ulturdl , Department, i'was doing, good work in cohncctio'n': iyithjthe.in-. 'spection of dairies.; It was,'Kowover; the desire ot tho City Council .to do something further to help to protect tho people. : Councillor Shirtcliffe (chairman of the Milk Committee, of tho City .Council) remarked that councillors were unanimously of opinion that the establishment-of a milk depot-was an urgent 'necessity.-. In' addition to. the, fact -that de-. lcterious matter contaißinated some- of the milk before-it reached town, it was ; not-, dealt with in a proper, manner in ?.ome. households.' Among ;the-schemes which the council: had under consideration was pne for the instruction-of house- ; wives in regard to the proper , methods ' of I.handling milk,;.and another -to the 'free distribution of milk in necessitous, cases.' What .•was desired was: that .the Minister should : re- , serve a.site for a milk depot before tho plans .in "connection - with the new; railway yards i .and 'buildings were-prepared;; Some time ago the committee was informed .that no suitable site war available.'; Ho would like to point out-that the -council did'.not ask'-,for ; the land' free ;of cost;;' it was ■ ;to it. A suggestion had been niade that a site should be 'obtained near the, Te Aro Station,_but it seemed probable that. the' To Aro .might, cease'to be ; used .soon, -In his 'opinion, the depot should be-established near Cable's Foundry,, ; He added that it. was not proposed- that the city .'should undertake 'the distribution of the -niilk,;but that ltj should establish, a depot: ivlioro it could be received and cooled : prior:'td \delivery v . . : . ICounoillorß ' Mlarcnj Fletcher, and .I'itz.'gerald also made remarks, .tho,.latter expressing -■;the, opinion;,'that :a sito' should be, obtained near tne < corner of Davis Street, at Thorndon. - \ -The Hon.: J. A. Millar, : in reply,; saidj that hei'-recoghised ■ the '.question 1 wad great importance;' not only .to the people of - Wellington,, but also to thqse Tesiaing in the other ;cdhtres; :He desired ,! to : know! whether; it, was intended 1 , that 'all the milk .consumed in Wellington - should pass; through the depot.''. : . ' - Councillor-Shirtcliffe replied, that' niilk from farms' near Wellington, .within four. 1 hours jfrd'm . the 'time' of /milking, :.would, be,.exempt subject : ,'to-,certain' tests. ':,'; .. V'Mr.'' MUIaY si ;Is it /proposed .'to..,inspect milk 'at 1 tlie.'depot,- and- then- rerail.'it, to. Te Aro ?y, : -Couticillor ShirtclifFe:.,' .The ,iuilk' would 'be delivered straight lo the carts at tho j depot. }' !Mr.*..'Mil]ai'! went" on., t&:-say 't_h'at\a 'site-near; 'Cable's' Foundry .would, in his opinion, ;not be /suitable, : vas in-, addition to the smoke, nuisance,, its leasing ■ value was very high. -It'. was' only a. matter, of a .' little' ,time before thb. goodttraffic: would', have to, be ; sepwated: froiii the passenger .traffic.' .The- probabilities were that the' passenger,' station would be. sit-' „uated in",'the ): viqinity' 'of ..Cable's:); Foundry, . whilst .;the •' goods \: station .would be ' located jiearer ' tho . Msnawatu: Station. /; He ■>' was in•ofined ' to' : .'thinfc .'that: ..the' .site '' suggested- by. .Councillor/ Fitzgerald/ was. the; more'-feasible .one.. .If the council' ;.was,: granted..' a >lease ;it would be - necessary to haye : i t : . over land ; .that was. not likely to- have to. .be" ithe' (Department, 'as ■ in !that'case tho', couhcil.-'w'oAild receive no 'compensation beyond^;being .allowed' ~toJ,remove itsi;building.-.' '/It; was also, stated by./Mrl.'-Millar 'that ' the Government had under consideration :a ,:proposaVjtoz bijild a/.wharf, at;, Thorndon-. for 'tho -accdinmqdatioh 'of-v the Gov-/ irnmont>st«amers; ; 7H«!.woiiW,'.h«;addSv;havo'-: a report. drawn up. as to the, lands/'available' .for the,-.,purposes/,of *a ;site'/.for/, tho','/proposed'' .dspot. /. ■■■:■ ;■' :,''v./v'.'y't-/.