Criticism of Ban On Water in Dairies

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 236, 6 October 1936, Page 2

Criticism of Ban On Water in Dairies

CITY COUNCL’S PROTEST CHRSTCHURCH, October 3. No action is to bo taken by ttho chief city iuspeetor in enforcing a recent amendment to tho health regulations prohibiting the storing of water in dairies. This amendment was gazetted about two months ago, but it drew a protest from tho Christchurch City Council on the ground that its enforcement would be impossible as well as contrary to the interests of tho consumer. A reply by tho Health Department iu Wellington to this protest has been received by tho by-laws committee of the council and the committee has instructed the inspector to take no steps to enforce tho regulation. Tho regulation reads: No person shall keep or store iu the same room or part of any premises where milk is kept or stored for sale any water or stale milk or any other fluid capable of being used for diluting or mixed with milk. In its protest to the Health Department the City Council stated that a number of dairymen kept milk cool bystoring it in ice and, although ico was not fluid, it was quito capable of diluting milk. Moreover, dairymen had constructed their daircs in such a manner that artesian water was constantly flowing through a trough in which cans of milk were stored overnight, and to prohibit these practices would not only mean alterations to licensed dairies, but would bo directly opposed to tho interests of tho .consumer.

To this the Health Department has replied that although it might, appear that the keeping of milk cans iu ice or in troughs of water was prohibited, these were cases in which reasonable discretion might be exercised. “The troughs are a convenient and long-established method of keeping the milk cool, and if they are removed the milk vendor, if lie desires to adulterate his milk, still has ample facilities for doing so,” the letter stated. “On the otiher hand the keeping of water iu a licensed milk shop will not be for any obviously legitimate purpose and should be prohibited.” Tho chairman of the council by-laws committee, Mr E. T. Andrews, said yesterday that it seemed ridiculous to make such a regulation and then allow part of it to be applied with discretion. It appeared that tho last sentenco of the department’s letter referred to water not kept in troughs and that therefore it was illegal to liavo water in a dairy except in a trough. Thus a dairy could not have water for washing purposes. The wholo regulation was obviously incapable of fair application.