WRONG IMPRESSION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27505, 27 September 1950, Page 10

WRONG IMPRESSION

Pasteurised Milk In Dunedin

A statement concerning the mutilation of the portion of the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research dealing with pasteurised milk in Dunedin was made to the Daily Times yesterday by the Government analyst for Otago and Southland, Mr O. H. Keys. “ Two recent press references to pasteurised milk in Dunedin, both arising out of the annual report of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, call for comment,” he said. “The portion which concerns the Dominion Laboratory conveys a wrong impression due to a mutilation in compiling the final report from the branch reports. In the previous year I commented upon the improvement in the quality of the milk supplied in Dunedin- since the new milk plant was brought into operation. In my report for 1949 I stated that the general trend of improvement had been maintained, that the amount of improperly-pasteur-ised milk had fallen very sharply, and that the proportion of stale raw milk was still too high. In the final departmental report this was wrongly rendered to read that the amount of improperly-pasteurised milk had fallen sharply, but was still too high. I am bound to add, in fairness, that the extract published by the press was correctly telegraphed from Wellington. “ The wrong impression thus created is quite unfair to the manager and staff of the Milk Treatment Station, to the Milk Board, to the Department of Health, and to others responsible for safeguarding the consumers’ interests in matters of milk quality. "A statement was published after the last meeting of the Green Island Borough Council to the effect that either the plant at the Treatment Station must be inadequate or the staff inefficient. This arose out of the mutilation of the words and intent of my annual report. The statement at the council meeting was obviously made in the best of faith and in the interests of consumers, but the effect is again unfair to the manager of the Treatment Station and to all concerned. . x , ‘‘My clear duty is to state publicly that my report was intended to reflect credit upon the technical efficiency of the manager and his staff and upon all those who strive to secure and maintain a pure milk supply of nigh quality for the people of Dunedin.