WATERING OF MILK ALLEGED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1089, 30 March 1911, Page 8

WATERING OF MILK ALLEGED.

. COMPLAINTS IN TARANAKI. ... At a recent meeting of the Kaupokonui Dairy Company a discussion on' the watering of milk arose. ■ ' . ,' The. chairman" (Mr. W.' Powdroll) said that;'watering milk was a'fairly common practice arid they, W'cro going to put it down, either by expulsion of the men who did it or by, heavy fines (reports the Hawera '-'Star"). lie had learned that tlw Department was going to give, them every assistance in their efforts. He believed that 25 per cent, of the whole of'the milk handled at the factory was water, and what did (his mean!' It meant that out if the 12 vats they installed each'requiring tho service of a" man, tlireo were ■water, and'they were paying three nien, who spent their-time raking nothing but water. Some suppliers thought that water assisted the milk to keep, but they did not want milk at the'factory -which would not keep Without the addition of water. One man who had been spoken to said that the only water he put in his milk 'was that' passed through his machine in tho washing-out process. This .was worse, for tho tilth of tho machino .went in with, the water. . . Mr. M'Donald, the manager, said tests had disclosed to him that men who ho had never thought 'would water .'their milk had done so. Mr. M'Phillips said that there should be an arrangement with other factories by which if a supplier was once found.to have watered his milk he should bo cautioned'and for a second offence expelled. The "Elthani Argus" reports that a number of Angora goats wero auctioned recently at from 15s. to 225. . "One of tho animals," continues tho "Argus," "created a diversion previous to the sale. He cleared the back fence and made up the Mountain Road followed by a couple of men. He sought sanctuary in a house, the front door of which stood invitingly open. After making an unceremonious entrance and alarming the inmates .ho iuvrfdeil a'bedroom and took up a defiant position on the bed, whore ho was eventually secured by his pursuers and taken back to the mart." ■A meeting ot suppliers of the Kaupokonui Dairy Company has confirmed tho decision of the directors to rebuild the factory and the store in.concrete. Largo savings are foreshadowed by the chairman o? directors (Mr. W. Powdrell). By carting their own cheese and saving two per cent shrinkage, .£2500 is to be.saved; and by separating the whey ,£ISOO. Sayings in insurants are also to bo made and the recent fire, it is said, may have been a blessing in disguise. The new factory is to he the finest "in tho Southern Hemisphere, perhaps in tho world."