WATERED MILK.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16551, 15 May 1914, Page 10

WATERED MILK.

DAIRYMAN FINED HEAVILY [Pkr Prkss Association.]

WELLINGTON, May 13. "Fined' £2O" was the decision of Mi- Cooper. S.M., .it'the Upper Hutt Magistrate's Court' to-day, when convicting William Collett on a charge of selling milk adulterated with water. J. H.Cowdray, milk inspector; produced a' sample of the milk and a certificate from the Government Analyst supporting the charge of adulteration. In giving evidence on his own behalf the defendant denied putting water in the milk. He remembered placing a can in the cooler, and suggested that the water had found its way into the can in tliis-way., lie had been in the milk business for fifteen yeai-Sj and had never been in trouble previously. He commented strongly upon the car.riago cf cans in the trains, contending that they were so badly knocked about that, water was always; liable to get into the milk.

In inflicting the fine the Magistrate said: that through the defendant's action a. firm in town bad been charged with selling adulterated milk, and' would have been heavily fined but for tho fact that the milk "was tested between the railway station and tho vendor's shop. Ho therefore felt justified in making the penalty a heavy one. Later on counsel made an application on behalf of tho defendant for a reduction on the amount of the fine. Ho compared the present case with a recent action in Auckland, wherein the fine had been of a similar amount. In the Auckland case, said counsel (Mr Blair), there had been deliberate adulteration.

The Magistrate stated that ho could not make the reduction, for which, however, Collett could apply to tho Justice Department.