The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1899. WELLINGTON'S MILK SUPPLY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 3738, 12 May 1899, Page 4

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.)

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1899. WELLINGTON'S MILK SUPPLY.

With "which, is iNconror-ATED the .Wellington Independent, Established 1815 '

His .Worship ’ the Mayor of ' Wellington ought to carefully consider the situation before he proceeds further with -his declared intention of proposing the, retirement of the City Council from the Dairy Regulation Committee, with a view, tc the local adoption of the • Dairy Industry Act. The public health is-of course the paramount consideration; but it would be well to inquire' whether the circumstances are such as to .warrant the, adoption of a course that is opposed to the principle of- local control." The' Case against the present system of inspection rests upon some very sweeping general assertions made by Mr Gilruth,thq Government Veterinarian. That gentleman •is a"-specialist/ and his views on b’acter- • iology aiid .its practical■ application ;are deserving of every consideration, however, he makes loose statements about cows suffering -from' cancer and tuberculosis in 'Wellington district, it' does hot follow that he has disclosed .a State of things calling for action .of any,, kind. Apart from specific details as'to the cattle said to be affected, it Vould-he Wrong W the local authorities to 'adopt "panic measures and derogate- their ppwprs tc the general: Government. - The ' whole force of Mr Gilruth’s contention at the recent conference .lay in.the alleged prevalence of cancer and tuberculosis, the unfitness of the present rlnspector of Dairies to'detect the presence’of these diseases," and the consequent danger .to the public health, . If the facts are as stated, there would probably .be- ground for the Mayortaking the course he has indicated ; hut certainly not otherwise 1 ; 1 for it lias not been shown, that. disease has been spread in Wellington. through the medium of’the milk supply. '

As against the alarmist statements of we shall quote an authority which even that gentleman will, respect; viz., Mr Giiruth himself. ■ In the Legislative'Council in-November last, the Hor. 3lr Johnston, speaking on the Stock Bill . said-V‘% nmy. say,, in reply, to . the .honourable gentleman, ‘ that the evidence j given by the Government Veterinary Surgeon, Mr Giiruth, before the Stock

Committee,was to the effect that there was no such thing as cancer amongst suph/tfiihgas cancer amongst cattle in the - -colony ” iip till November List. Mr Gilruth. ought to have a very interesting report ;to make upon its apjiearance in Wellington,district . since that- date. Then as to tvJmrculosis, it has been proved by statistics that the cattle affect ed by it hi; this country form-only 21 percent. of t-hototal slaughtered, against 15, to 25 per -cent, in Paris, Berlin and -.other Continental cities whei;e the most rigid system of inspection; prevails, and the most careful treatment of cattle is adopted.'. In 1 his leaflet on tho-subject of .tuberculosis in cattle,. Mr • .Gilruth states-that-‘‘in several of the cowhouses of-London-nind Edinburgh,' 00 to 70 per cent, we'rofouhd to bo atteotod.” These facts. do .not indicate that there is any special?danger'of tuberculosis spreading through-the medium, of the milk supply of Wellington." .Again, it;is an ascertained fact.that the .millt’of tuberculous cows is not at all dangerous .unless the animals’ udders arc affected.' * Here/too, ivo are in a posi--1 fidn to’- qiiote' Mr Gm-iith, the dispassionate, expert,- ms. against mr 'Gilruth, the popular alarmist. In- tne leaflet from vfhich'wc have already. quoted, the Government ACeteriuarien says.:—“Professor Bapg,/qf Copenhagen, considers that out ■of , r IOQ vtuiieroulous ..cows not, more than ■thUeo ror 'ftfur 'have? the Judders-affected, and I 'amJ'cOiffideiit'that in Zealand the’percentage'is eten loss., . . ~Ther , appotite in .certain cases becomes : changed;-aud/ovon: abnormal, - tho secretion iof milk diminishes < and its quality altprs;/assuming a. bluish watery tint’, hut liof' dangerous.to consumers, provided the udder ..remains. healthy." .Mr' Gilruth liasiher.el rather’ over-' stated than under stated the ' probable proportion of cows in New Zealand whose udders aim infected, with tubercle; - - Actual experience bar shown that only : 2k per cent.-of the cattle slaughtered'at-DunOdiu and;Wanganui are tuberculous"/ .and 'of ' these only a very small percpntage have their udders affect- •. ed.,-. -N ot. one cow in' every ’ 1000 in 'this ' country; if is’safe to say/is hi a condition Jto'taiiit its milk with’tuberculous matter. Foiftlio.sake converting' tlio.iufinitesinia) dapger > thus disclosed, ; it, is surely not necessary to disjoint tlie whole system of 'local government"' and hand over a muni/ciphTdqtyto. Ministerial control. ,Once.more av,e.may quote Mr Gilruth. the’ specialist/ to. show- how- easy it .is tr guard• against the danger- that 'lurks in " tuberculous milk. ' “The.bacillus of tuberculosis,” hp ..ivyites,- “is so,, easily..des- . troyed by:heat that a -temporaturo of 175 dfeg.r-Pahr./! maintained for 'live minutes, ' is'sufficient to storiljse) tho most,virulent '.milk' so, far as tubprculosis. is, concerned For ordinary piirposcs, bringing- the milk IjusFjto -th'e . boil’- is' quite-sufficient tr render"it'innheuous/’’ -In ;Vt ew °f all tlibse'fap&j? attested by hlayGilriitli .himself] tfie public can. judge whether, there ■ is'/any need to haVo ?the dairy fariridrs subjected 'to r great trouble 'and expense r in : order fiahave bactej-iplbgicn.l tests ay plleC|o'^the}r f Qnttle .and their, milk-. ; The . ordinaiy=.wprjs-of,,inspection, as regard? cleanliness of.'premises 1 and ■ utensils,is efficiently Carried r dut under tW existing arrangements ; oy^"ifit t is not, the Dairy Committee" has; full power to •cause ft-to be r thoroughly done, and time fprdvideb•■'■■every 'reasonable" I 'safeguard ’agahist iiifehtion" through jthe.mediiimpf milk., /;,lipiacp, -we ( ask McDlair the rGity Councillors to pause-before dorogat-,ing-their-ftmCtions and shirking their duty to tW people who' appointed them. On the fahp bf it, .more effectiye control may ..he,expected from, an.offi cial ovpr -whom, the ..public‘have authority-than from one responsible oiily general Gbyenuheiit. 'Tlie dhm6(sracy, ye, foOT assured, will not without urgpnt .and adequate cause being .shown,-., agree-, to-relinquish local- c.iutro’ TOveFthe qilality of food siijipliesv ' ;