THIN MILK

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 33, 8 August 1919, Page 7

THIN MILK

TWENTY-TWO PER CENT. ADDED

WATEK

A DAIRYMAN FINED.

,' A charge of having sold adulterated milk, containing tho large proportion of 22 per cent, of added water, was laid against Thomas Parker, milk vendor, of Owen-street, at the Magistrate's Couit this morning. . • • The defendant, for whom Mr. H. F. yon Haast appeared, said that he could only k explain the presence of the water in the milk by the supposition that either the milk had been interfered with after it hadleft the City Milk. Depot, or that another vendor had. interfered with his supply some time between the hour, when milk was. placed on' the .-footpath a"nd when it was picked up by his driver. He had had cause previously to. make complaints to- the . authorities at' the depot that his supply was short. Inspector F. W. Rawlinson, after giving format evidence as to purchasing a sample from defendant's driver soon after the latter had started on his round, said that he had previously taken six-, teen samplqs from Parker's, delivery carts, and had always found the milk "up to standard. ' . . Samuel S. ' Steele, superintendent of the city milk receiving and distributing depot, gave evidence that the whole of tho milk delivered in. bulk to Owen? street on' 12th June had been up to standard.

The question as to whether a vendor would gain anything by retailing milk containing* added water was raised, but Mr. Tudhope pointed out that the company system was not in force in June. At present a vendor i would gain only if he sold the milk for cash, for under the credit system his profits were worked out in proportion to an average fixed by the authorities. . v Mr.yon Haast remarked that the claim that customers and vendors would be protected only when niilk was de. livered to them in sealed bottles was correct, for it was quite obvious, that under the present system,. whereby cans were put down early in the morning to be picked up later, any man who was so inclined could take a part of the milk and fill the can up with water.. The defendant had a good, reputation, and the fact that he had made complaints to the authorities as to shortages previously was. in his favour. Moreover, a vendor delivering • milk containing so large a proportion of water was bound to receive complaints immediately from ,his customers.

Mr. E. Page, S.M., said thai he considered the individual vendors should take more businesslike steps in taking delivery of their supplies, and vendors might also take the precaution of testing their milk with the lactometer before starting, on .their rounds. Defendant would be convicted and fined £5, and costs amounting to £1 18s 6d,