CITY MILK SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 140, 10 December 1918, Page 7

CITY MILK SUPPLY

TO THI EDITOR. Sir,—rl noticed in the columns of your paper that the Milk Supply Bijl 'has been dropped in Parliament, but no reason offered. Personally, I think it was the wisest thing to do, as, after tho clearing-station fiasco, it must be apparent ,to those in charge of this wildoat scheme that to interfere • with the city's milk is a very dangerous and risky (from a. health point of view) thing to do. Have the City Council considered what it means to the children if the city's milk supply is held up for only 24 hours? Death to some. After the experience of Wangan'ui, where hundreds of pounds in hard cash were lost by a private company Un attempting to carry a similar project, I think it ie time that you, Sir,.warn the public to view with suspicion any attempt to interfere with their milk. I would submit to the City Council what, in my opinion, would ensure a, pure milk supply and kill the evil now existing: — (1) Erect receiving stations along the line of railway at given points where the milk is obtained. (2) Test, pasteurise, and cool milk before railing. (3) Pay fanners according to butterfat results. (4) Keep their inspectors on the watch in the city as at present. (5) Use Thorndon clearing station as a depot for receiving all empty cans for cleaning purposes, charging vendors a nominal sum for cleansing cans. If the council were to follow on these lines I think the cry of impure milk would be a tiling of the past. Taking item (1), the council would know what and whose milk they were receiving; (2) by testing they could reject any they had cause to complain about, also it is well known that pasteurised and cooled milk will travelmuch better than milk not so treated; (3) the council would be competing fairly with dairy factories, and get all the milk they wanted ; (4) by keeping the inspectors on the watch in the city' they would know who waters the milk, or if they were receiving inferior milk from poor herds Of cows, also if it were shown that eomo vendors were wilfully watering the milk they be fined so heavily that they would remember it for the rest of their life, and their licenses be immediately cancelled, for there is no room for a second chance; (5) by using Thorndon clearing station for cleansing purposes in the matter of cans the council would eliminate the greatest curse of the milk industry— T namely, dirt. If they have any doubts on this matyer see our Dairy Commissioner.—l am. etc., ■FACTS.