MILK SUPPLY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24231, 24 March 1942, Page 2

MILK SUPPLY

Sir, —Now that we are threatened with a typhoid epidemic and are told by the District Minister of Health, Dr. Hughes, that the infection is .most likely spreading through the milk supply, surely it is time that the people of Auckland demanded a safe milk supply. Pasteurised and bottled milk has been deemed by many world authorities the only safe type of milk to be consumed, and this view is endorsed by the Department of Healthy Only this morning I received a not# from my milkman stating that owing to the shortage of bottles I must have a standing order for the same amount of milk daily, and also I found that I had been given twice as much as ordered, as he had not a smaller bottle left. Now this means. that _ some_ will be wasted, and with the rapidly-dimin-ishing supply this is uneconomical and some school child will no doubt be the loser. Because of the prevalence of typhoid, and also because of the shortage of milk, more bottles should be made immediately and a safe supply be given to the people. It has been stated in the press that some factories are making beer bottles exclusively; now surely it would be possible for these to change over for awhile and make bottles for the essential supply rather than for the unessential industry. Can we, when absolute efficiency is demanded of us all, afford to risk -an epidemic of this very serious disease especially when our medical profession is already overworked and when all our hospitals are standing by for an emergency? Health First.