MILK CLEARING STATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9871, 17 January 1918, Page 3

MILK CLEARING STATION

EXPERTS’ REPORT COMPLETED

In consequence of the initial failure of the milk clearing-station to fulfil its functions considerable public curiosity exists as to what the next move of the City Council will be. Yesterday the Mayor (Mr J. P. Luke) informed a ‘ ‘Times’ ’ reporter that the report of the three experts—Messrs Oliver (City Council). Ward (Dairy Farmers’ Association). and Williamson (Vendors’ Association —had been completed and was now in the hands of the council. The report is to be considered by the health committee this afternoon; meanwhile no indication as to the nature of the report can be mad© public. VIEWS OF ’WMjDES COUNCIL. Yesterday the Wellington Trades and Labour Council issued the following statement in reference to measures and proposals for effecting improvements in the city milk supply. The statement is as under:—“Lest the impression should get abroad that the central clearing scheme of the Wellington City Council is what Labour has been asking for for some time, the Trades Council desires to make it clear that it has no interest and very little sympathy with the proposal as adopted by the City Council. The desire of the Labour people generally is first that a sufficient and wholesome supply-of milk shall be available for citizens. We believe that the unwholesome and diluted state of the milk has been due mainly to the greed of private enterprise. We believe also that much of the expense of delivery could have been saved by a system which would avoid overlapping. To cope with the present situation a more satisfying method than that adopted by the City Council would hay© been to send a representative into; say, tlie Manawatu district .and enter into an agreement with a number of farmers for a regular supply of wholesome milk. This milk should be received and cooled at the producing end. The cooling station should he in the country district, and close to the railway. It should be apparent to everyone that it is not possible to preserve the milk unless it is dealt with within an hour or so of the time it leaves the cow. We believe that the clearing station was "built at the wrong end. and that the arrangement was altogether haphazard- and unsatisfactory. “While the ideal system wfuld he one in which the city would have its own farms and attend to its own delivery. the method by which we could oope with immediate difficulties is the one here suggested. Upon arrival of the milk in the city it should be possible to avail ourselves of the plant and experience of the present vendors, while cutting out a great deal of the waste due to overlapping. That would be preliminary, of course, to a scheme which would gradually transfer the delivery to responsible officers 'of the council.” '