MISSING MILK SAMPLE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17080, 29 June 1923, Page 1

MISSING MILK SAMPLE.

MAGISTRATE DOUBTFUL, When a milkman is stopped by a Health Department inspector and a sample of his milk is taken, it lias to be divided into three parts and put in sealed bottles. One goes to the milk vendor for private analysis, another goes to the Government Analyst, and the third is held in reserve and, if necessary, submitted to Dr J. 11. Maclaurin for a determining analysis, if an objection has been raised by the milkman or the Department. These provisions helped to complicate the hearing of a ease at the IS fag is urate’s Court to-day, when lsrajel Rhodes, a milk vendor, for whom Mr W. F. Tracy appeared, was charged with having adulterated milk and sell ing milk that contained water. Mr Tracy said that the defendant had been unable to have liis sample analysed, because the contents of the sealed 1 ottlo had leaked out. It wa the defendant’s right to have a sample, but now, out of the thre<. originally taken, the Health Depart rnent harl but one left. The Magistrate questioned Mr Trac about the bottle that had leaked, an asked bow it came to develop a leaking cork. Mr Tracy replied that the Magistrate must bo entitled to presume that the cork had not been tampered with i-. nny way. The Magistrate: Oh, I don’t know

about that; but there is a course that 1 might easily follow. The contents of the remaining bottle might be divided between the defendant and the Department for the purpose of separate anaiysis. Mr Tracy intimated that this course would not be necessary, and the whole sample would be sent to Dr Maclaurin for analysis, which would be acceptIn adjourning the case for a fortnight, the Magistrate said that the leakage in the defendant’s bottle might have been due to a defective bottle, and it might have been duo to other causes.