CITY MILK SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 21, 26 January 1931, Page 10

CITY MILK SUPPLY

THE NEW STATION

LIGHT AND CLEANLINESS

A HANDSOME JOB

The installation of plant and the finishing off of the interior of the new city milk station in Tory street in preparation for the official opening by the Governor-General on 12th February, have now been carried to such a stage •that, one may gather a good idea1 of, what the final result will be. Tho City Council sent tho General Manager of the Department, Mr. E. B. Hcrron, off on a tour of investigation in America, Canada, and Great Britain, with instructions to inquire into the best and most efficient plant, and this policy of aiming for the best has been followed throughout. The, visitor cannot but be impressed with tho appearance of the dairy, for it is,a very handsome job. ' A few weks ago the interior was 'anything but handsome, for the unpacking and c.ection of intricate plant, jpainting, tiling, and plastering cannot be done without making a mess, and, at first sight, a g*>d deal of confusion. Actually the confusion was on the surface, and tho work was going along steadily according to plan. Now tho floors are clear of the tools and gear used in erecting the machinery and finishing the building, the walls are sparkling white, and under the painters'■brushes'the plant units are taking on a clean working dress, mostly of high gloss white enamel, and elsewhere of aluminium paint: Thoughout, tho interior finish is such as to hold no <lirt, and to allow of rapid and thorough .cleaning. The walls in all the main •working rooms are tiled for about nine feet from the floor, and above that the ifiriish is of enamelled plaster, the ceilings being also enamelled. Tiles are used for floor surfaces, except where heavy cans, etc., have to be dragged about, and there fine surface concrete is used, reinforced with steel meshing, ,to give Jong wearing life as well as strength. LOFTY AND AIRY. The height of the dairy building, the big area of glass in the roof, and tho yery large ceiling to floor light well, give the main factory room a very lofty appearance, but what was aimed at was, of course, lighting and plentiful ventilation. Right through there is this lofty appearance, except in the storage ''rooms, where the floor to ceiling space 5s kept down to not much more than head room, to obtain full results from the cold pipes carried round the walls. From the visitors' gallery one may : feee almost the whole of tho milk treatment process,' or the machines that carry the process, except for the receiving ; and weighing of the bulk milk received from the farms and the first cooling operation. It may be argued ihat a visitors' gallery is a luxury and ithat the pasteurising process would 'go on just as well without it, but the tlepartmennt no doubt would reply that it is good for both the people and the 'department that the public 'should take ian interest in the milk station. The crfcc! pride consideratipn enters into jthis matter a good deal, and the new •station is one of which Wellington people will be proud when they have the opportunity of seeing it in operation shortly. The provision of special facilities for visitors is a regular thing Jn^he larger oversea dairies under private company management. IN AN ENCLOSED CIRCUIT. Actually the visitor will not see jmuch sign of milk and,cream, for from ■the'moment that the milk leaves the weighing tanks into which it is poured "from the farmers cans until it is filled into the bottles arid' capped it will be in a totally enclosed circuit, to guard againsj ',- possible contamination from air-carried dust and dirt. Only pnee will it come into view, as it pours over racks of cooling pipes after pasteurisation ' and on its way to the bottling machines. This final cooling Toom has been fitted with a plate-glass wall through which the milk cascade will be seen. Scrupulous care is taken in a modern 'dairy to guard against contamination of the milk, for the days when a sluice round (with farm dam water if there ■was nothing else on hand) did for the cans, and a wipe round did for other things have fortunately gone, not only 5n good dairies but on all dairy farms deserving to be known as such. Every . tank, heater, cooler, or pipe through which milk and cream will pass in the dairy is lined with or built of special metal or glass enamel to guard against -contamination. Nick-el and German Silver are the two metals most used, and the big tanks are glass-enamel -lined. No tinned copper or bronze is used anywhere'in the milk line. . Moreover, {he pipes which will carry the milk from one machine to another ..-lire built in short sections, and at the end of each day's work these will be jtaken down and sterilised in a special isteam bath; any "bug" that can. get through that bath will be remarkably (obstinate. Fresh sanitary joint packing .will be used each day. REALLY CLEAN BOTTLES. The great bottle-washing machine, yith a capacity of 8000 bottles per ihour, will take the same care-of containers, . and cans i will get their "sluice"—l93l style, including soda (solution, boiling water, live steam, and 'quick hot air drying—in a washing fcnachine. of their own. Part of the iroutine laboratory work will bo to test the washings from cans, pipe lines, •washers, and so on to see that the work is being really done. And after all that care with handling V>f milk and sterilising of bottles, how many households pour the pasteurised milk into cracked jugs whose nearest acquaintance with sterilisation is the tail end of the previous night's dinner ■wash-up 5 But it is not much use telling some people. The milk would be much better left in the bottle juntil it is required. Whether the station will be ready ifor full operation on the opening day is even now .not certain. It could bo set under way then, for the tests of individual plant units have been very satisfactory, but the Department prefers to hurry slrfwly and docs not propose to make the finalj change-over to the' Tory street station until a complete running test, on Wainui water, has proved the adjustment of every unit xn its relation to others along the line, for the synchronisation of the whole equipment is essential in obtaining the liigh efficiency planned for.