ADULTERATED MILK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9305, 4 August 1908, Page 3

ADULTERATED MILK.

' | DAIRYMEN FINED. Five dairymen appeared at the ' Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., as a result of the analyses made on sixty ; samples of milk taken by the Public Health Department's inspectors. They were charged with having sold aduli i terated milk. > I James Maher (Mr Frazer) pleaded in defence that the milk he sold had been purchased from two other dairymen and mixed. No water had been added. Mr Frazer sought to show that the preponderance of butter-fat over the standard and the low proportions of nonfatty solids had been due to the addition of rich milk to a poorer one. The Government analyisb, Mr A. A. Bickerton, said that in his own mind he had no doubt that water had been added, but that the result of the analysis could have been caused by the addition iof cream in the milk. In the majority !of the sixty samples the butter-fats had been fairly high, which was usual ; for this time of the year. The defendant was fined £10 and costs. John Ken: (Mr Vincent), after having endeavoured to show that the low percentage of solids had been due to a eudden change of diet, was fined £10 and costs. He said that a rnoifit food would affect the percentage of water in tho milk. Jamos O'CoTinei* (Mr Donnelly) did not appear, but his daughter, \yho had charge of the dairy, said that if water I had "been addtx! to the milk, it had I been put in by her younger brothers. The defendant was fined 40s and costs, i Similar penalties were imposed on ' John Clark, who said that he had purchased the milk from someone else, and ■ , William James Richard Stephens, who \ mado a liko excuse.