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Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 378, 27 April 1915, Page 6

The Wellington l-losj_iit.il Board has lately boon debating the question of •whether oi- not it should run a dairy farm of its own in order to ensure a regular sujiply of pure milk. There seems to be little doubt amongst members as to the advantages of the scheme, but there is division on the question of its cost. At the same time a number

of candidates for election to the Wellington City Council are making a strong point of the need for municipal control of the milk supply. This would lead an observer to judge that the dairymen of Wellington have little care for either the cleanliness or the quality of their milk, and, judging from the number of eases which have been brought before the courts recently, in which dairymen were fined for supplying milk of inferior quality and for adding matter to give it the semblance of richness, contrary to the pure food regulations, there seems to be justification for this view. Only yesterday a firm of dairymen was fined for supplying the Wellington Hospital with milk deficient in quality. It is likely that Wellington is no worse off than other cities in this respect, but that a larger number of milk purveyors are caught by the inspectors at their dishonest practice. One of the most favoured proposals put forward in Wellington for ensuring pure milk is that a, municipal depot should be established to which dairy farmers would deliver their milk, have it tested and pasteurised, and delivered to the retail dairymen. Since we"have Government graders for various of th<* products which we export, so as to maintain a standard of quality, there seems no reason why this principle should I not be carried into municipal affairs. I Inspection and pasteurisation at a central depot for the'receipt and delivery of milk would go far towards guaranteeing the quality of the supply, it would simplify the work of the inspectors, and it would not in the least interfere with the' private interests of the supplying farmer or the retailing dairyman, except inasmuch as it would discourage dishonesty. The suggestion is worthy of consideration.