CITY MILK SUPPLY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 147, 19 December 1933, Page 9

CITY MILK SUPPLY

? AMENDING BILL

INSPECTORS' POWERS

The Wellington City Milk Supply; Amendment Bill, which was passed ia the House of Representatives yesterday; afternoon, confers extended powers oa inspectors to examine milk being brought into the city for consumption, Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Government, Eiccarton) said that at the present time certain nearby farmers had the right to sell a limited quantity of milk in. tho city, and the Bill gave the right to the Wellington City Council inspectors to examine the vehicles of the nearby fanners outside the city boundaries. It was evidently an. attempt to crush the nearby farmers, although, a number of people objected to pasteurised milk and desired to obtain their supplies direct from the farms. There was a danger in allowing the Bill to pass, and he thought that more information should be given on the subject. Mr. P. Fraser (Labour, Wellington' Central), who was in charge of the Bill, said that the Bill had gone to the Local Bills Committee and had been- recommended unanimously "without amendments. At the request of those who were doubtful as to the manner in which the nearby farmers were being treated, the Bill was sent to the Agrv cultural and Pastoral Committee, of which Mr. Kyle -was the chairman. That day Mr. Kyle had. reported that the Committee decided to recommend that the Bill pass without amendments. Mr. Fraser said he understood that tha recommendation was unanimous. SAMPLES EXAMINED. Mr.. J. Hargest (Government, Invercargill) raised the question as t« whether the people of Wellington were satisfied with the city milk. He had taken samples of city and nearby farmers' milk, and had had them tested under' the Babcock test, which • had shown nearby farmers'. milk at 3.9 and council milk at 2.6. After 48 houri he had found the farmers' milk sour, but the city milk was rotten.. Mr. H. T. Armstrong (Labour, Christf church East): Did you milk' the cow; yourself? • Mr.-Fraser said that he- would be only.too glad for Mr, Hargest to. visit the city laboratory arid investigate thft position.- He would find that the milk tested at near 4,5 as an average. Mr. Armstrong: Was it goat,'s-milk? Mr. W. J. Poison (Government, Stratiford): He has made a study of goats. Mr. Armstrong: Since I came here I have, (Laughter.) Mr. Fraser said that he "would bi glad -to give every facility to Mr. Hargest to visit the laboratory. Visitors from, other parts of. the . world were agreed that there was no better milk scheme, in the world than Wellington's scheme. Australia had adopted ' the Wellington system. . The Bill would not prevent the nearby farmers from providing every drop of knilk they; were entitled to provide. Mr. Kyle said that -the nearby farmers did not mind the inspectors examining their milk in transit, but they objected to the inspectors going on to their farms. , . . ■ Mr. Fraser said that the visit to the farms was the only "effective way of carrying out the job. If there was any injustice as a" result of the Bill'» operation, ho would be the first to remove it. Mr. D. W. Cdleman (Labour,. Gisborne) said that some of the nearby; farmers when before the Committee were quite willing that the milk should \be tested by inspectors on the farms. The Bill was passed."