THE WORLD'S MILK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 252, 19 July 1920, Page 5

THE WORLD'S MILK

COUNCILLOR C. B. NORWOOD ABROAD. ' Councillor C. B, Norwood, the chairman of the Milk Committee of the City Council, who has just returned from an extensive tour of the world, waß invited to give an epitome of his observations aa ,to city milk services abroad, but in submitting his views excused himself from going into details, as in loyalty to his fellow-councillors he wished to reserve such information for them in the first instance.' He said that he had not had to travel far in America to find that the municipal supply . of milk was really a world-wide problem, for a very great deal of attention was being given to the question in many of the larger cities abroad. He, however, was able to observe at first hand the manner in which milk was handled and delivered in Bome of the big cities. For example, in New York milk was delivered iu sealed bottles, and was bottled in 6ucb a, manner as to allow of a oitnimum exposure to the air "and freedom from the touch of those handling milk. One thing that could ba said was that the sealed bottle gave a reasonable assurance that the. milk had notbeen adulterated. What was interesting to the visitor was that New York was inquiring very thoroughly into the question of complete municipal control, and the reports on the subject had been placed at the disposal of the Wellington Milk Committee, which data should be very valuable. Passing over to London, Councillor Norwood found that almost the whole of the milk-vending business had been combined for the purpose of bringing about economies in delivery by the institution of tho block system, similar to that already adopted in Wellington. This had meant the creation of a very wealthy combination, but, as far as ho could see, tho economies had not been passed on to the public. Last winter tho London prico for milk was 2s. -a quart, which was, as a matter of fact, pretty well tho ruling price all over England, except that in tho flush of the season it fell to 10d. per quart. Such high prices had forced the municipalities to come to tho aid of the poor people, particularly where children and invalids were concerned. Part of the increased cost was caused by the added expense of having to hand-feed and stall tho cattle during tho winter months, but even taking that into consideration, it was generally_ conceded that tho high prico was not justified. Schemes for municipal supplies had been discussed, but tho initial cost of purchasing farms nnd 6 ( .ock wag an ob-f-taole in tho way of their promulgation. So far as ho could learn none.of tho local bodies had hit upon Wellington n idea of being the solo purchaser, and wholesalo deliverer of .tho milk but fiomei control as to its purity had been instituted by appointing inspectors to watch the sources of supply, wulin some places milk depots had been established for tho supply of milk to tliQso in needy circumstances.