MILK PROSECUTIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 9, 5 October 1917, Page 7

MILK PROSECUTIONS

SEVERAL VENDORS. IN COURT. . Several milk vendors appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr. S.'-E. M'Carthy, S.M., on charges of selling milk containing added water, also adulterated milk. Mr. J. Prendeville, of the Crown Law Office, appeared for the Department of Public Health. The Karori Milk -Supply Company was charged with selling ia February' last milk containing' 9'per' cent, of added water. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for the defendant company. Mr. Jackson stated' that the suppliers would not give' tho vendors a guarantee as to the purity of the milk, and vendors were thcreforo obliged to rely on . the terms of Section 13 of the Act, which clears a vendor if he takes every pre-, caution to. see that his milk' is up to the standard. In this case tho milk was tested. The company tested every consignment. of. milk, and tests v.'ere made every day by a member of th» firm to .ensure that the work was properly done. The lactometer was the only instrument available to vendors, and the lactometer was not altogether a reliable tester. The Department's tests were made by quite, another instrument, riot now .available to vendors because it' was of Gorman manufacture. It was, how-'' ever, a. moro accurate tester than the lactometer. . C. J. Duffy, a ,member of the Karori Milk Supply Company, gavo. evidence in support of .counsel's statement, and showed by. practical illustration how the i tests were made and. why tho lactometer | was not altogether reliable. After hearing further evidence ~ the Magistrate recorded a conviction, end fined.the defendant .£2O and costs. On a second charge of a similar character, defendant was convicted and ordered to' come up for sentence when called upon.. The :alternative .charge in each case was withdrawn. Bertha Wardlewas charged with selling milk with. added water and failing to inform the purchaser, also with selling unclean milk. After hearing the evidence in this case the Magistrate reserved his decision. ' , Maitland Anderson was charged with selling unclean milk. The defendant owns a-dairy farm at Makara, and the system adopted on the farm for securing the purity of tho milk was explained. It was claimed that from the time tho cows were brought-to tho bails and the milk placed in the cans to be brought into town the utmost care was taken. Mr. T. Neave, who appeared for the defendant, stated that no offence had been disclosed. The defendant had taken every caro as provided by Section 13 of the Act. The informant had not sug-" gested-any 'further .methods' by which the purity'of tho milk could be assured. The Department admitted that the defendant had' hitherto given no cause for complaint. Decision in this case was reserved. •