THE MILK SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13226, 11 July 1906, Page 6

THE MILK SUPPLY.

STATEMENT BY DR. MASON.

MUNICIPAL DISTRIBUTION.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

Cheistchckch:, Tuesday. In view of the interest being taken at the present time in Auckland, as well as in ChrisCehurch, in the question of the milk supply, a Press reporter interviewed Dr. Maeon, chief health officer, and asked his opinion on the proposals for municipal control of the milk supply now before the City Council's Committee. Dr. Mason said: .'" I am entirely with the movement. In my reports for the last two years I have recommended it, and I am again urging it in the report now under preparation. I .do not sec any local governance objections or monetary objections to a municipality, where the- population is 4000 or over, undertaking to distribute milk within its boundaries, but I do not quite see the reason why you should extend your operations to the collection of the milk from the different dairies. It will increase the - expenditure very considerably, and I would feel inclined to allow the farmers to follow the practice they do at present ia respect to the conveyance of milk to butter factories. The farmer brings his milk, either once or twice a day, to the receiving room at the factory. Its value as a food is tested, and he is paid on that. Once ho delivers.the milk to the factory -he has nothing further to do with it. Placing the municipal" depot in the position of the factory the milk would be received by the officials, where it would be treated and pasteurised before being seatout to the consumers. "In some parts of the colony," continued the chief health officer; " there are very up-to-date methods in vogue for handling milk. It is sent out in bottles made of a hard thick glass. They are filled by machinery and corked with a paraffined pasteboard cork, which is, never used again, and the bottles are carried in wire baskets, and collected again by the milk supply company. This system is in operation in "Napier and Timaru.' The company finds that the Raving of what is called the ' overdip,' viz., the amount given by the milkman in excess of the actual quantity paid for, is sufficient to pay : for the bottles, the extra machinery, breakages, and all the extra care taken in handling the milk. This 'overdip' ranges from 10 to 12 per cent, of the total supply. The same saving would bo effected by the municipality. The bottles could be brought in every day and sterilised quite handily.! I don't think there can be any question of knocking out' the poor man, for the municipality would be able to give him a good price for his milk all the year round.'' Speaking further on the question of distribution, Dr. Mason said: ''The factors •Waking for the impurity of milk are partly 'due to the methods of the supplier, but they are also in a large measure due to the carelessness of the consumers. You will often see jugs end cane left out in the street to be defiled by dust and other causes .and all this would be got over by sending out the milk in sealed bottles, making it next to impossible for the careless and ignorant householder to misuse tho milk. In some parts of the world they go further in the direction of protecting the child from the i carelessness of its mother. • The supplier sends out what is known .as 'one feed' bottles, from which a.n infant is fed direct, a.nd it is merely a question of ordering as many bottles as are required. Seeing that the mortality under the age of 12 months is so. high there is every reason 1 for endeavouring to ensure the purity of the milk supply. Personally,.! would like to see private milk supply companies undertake the work, but as a matter of experience they don't get much encouragement." : ' : ;