MILK VENDOR

Grey River Argus, 27 May 1938, Page 4

MILK VENDOR

DEFIES INSPECTOR. WAIPUKURAU, May 24. Robert Osborne Lansdown, a milk vendor, was charged in the Waipukurau Magistrate’s Court with tailing to supply a sample of milk when requested to do so by a Health Department Inspector, Mr J. Miller, S.M, was on the Bench. Senior-Sergeant G. Sivyer, Hastings, conducted the case for the police, and Mr A. M. White'appeared tor the defendant. William Welsh, inspector for the Health Department, stated that on the morning of March 16 he approached the defendant to take a sample of milk from his van for analysis. A sample was offered, but he declined it and asked for milk from what appeared to be the serving can. The defendant refused, saying it was skim milk which lie intended giving to a hotel. The can was not labelled to indicate that it contained skim milk, although this was required by the regulations. Tire defendant then emptied the can into the gutter. In answer to the Magistrate, witness said that the samples were always paid for, but he did not first tender the money. J. E. Ferguson, proprietor of a private hotel in Waipukurau, said that for a long period he had received fresh and skim milk daily from the defendant. No charge was made for the skim milk. To Senior-Sergeant Sivyer he said that the can was not always full, but he did not know why. Counsel for the defendant submitted that the prosecution had not proved that the milk in question was actually for sale, and further that the inspec tor had not tendered money in payment for the sample requested. The defendant had done a very fool • ish thing, and he was not prepared to accept his version, said tte Magistrate. However, the Act stated clearly that the inspector must tender payment on asking for a sample of foodstuffs, and in this case the inspector had not done so. He would have t - . iismiss the information.