MILK PROBLEM IN AUSTRALIA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17831, 27 April 1926, Page 4

MILK PROBLEM IN AUSTRALIA.

MELBOURNE APPEALS TO WELLINGTON EXPERT. (Special to the “Star.”) WELLINGTON. April 26. Mr R. E. Herron, general manager oi the Wellington Municipal Milk Department. arrived back yesterday by the Tahiti after a visit to Australia extending over eight weeks. At the request of the Melbourne City Council he went to Melbourne to advise upon the suggested establishment of a municipal milk supply system in that city, and while there was asked to visit Canberra also, to advise the Federal State Commissioners. . Greater Melbourne, he said to a reporter, had a -population of approximately 900,000 people, and local government. was divided .among no less than 32 bodies. Those .facts suggested at once that a general* municipal supply system lor Greater Melbourne would be ?. tremendous undertaking, but, he believed. and had recommended, that were the City of Melbourne to undertake such a system it w*>uld later extend over the metropolis* ll area, the present requirements of wh\‘h are estimated at 60,000 of milk and sweet cream, as against Wellington's, daily 7000 to 8000 gallons, of whjch the municipal department supplies about two-thirds. DEARER OYER THERE. “Speaking generally,” said Mr Ilerron, "the farmer supplying the Melbourne market is not receiving as high a price for his milk as the producer supplying the Wellington market, but the Melbourne householder pays more than the Wellington consumer. Since February bottled milk has been retailed

iillllllllifilllllilllllllllllllllllllllillilillllll in Melbourne at 9d a quart, as against (during the same period) 6*d in Wellington. In Sydney. I may mention, the price is higher still. lOd bottled and 9d dipped. All milk, moreover, is purchased by the gallon, not by the *fat content, and quite a lot of it is standardised—brought down to the standard which just comes within the regulations—by t’he extraction of cream, or the addition of skimmed milk. On a quality basis there is no doubt that our milk is well ahead; also it is chcapBIG MONEY NEEDED. Mr Ilcrron said that he estimated the capital cost of establishing a municipal supply system for Melbourne City would be not less than £160.000. to which had to be added compensation, the total being somewhere about £250.000. The Health Committee of the Melbourne Council had unanimously approved of the recommendations he had made, but when he left Australia the matter had not reached the full Council. CANBERRA FAVOURS SCHEME. Canberra, said Mr Herron, was a city' in the making and the opportunity for the establishment of a municipal system of supply was certainly a good one. for there were undoubtedly man}' big problems about Melbourne which were not found at Canberra. “I have no doubt whatever,” he continued, “that as a result of my investigations and recommendations a municipal milk scheme will be inaugurated, to operate from the beginning of 1927. Everything is favourable t«< its inception. All the land belongs to the Federal Government. Suitable land has been sub-divided into farms of various sizes, and though there are only four dairy farms in the State at present., these will be extended as the population grows. The Commission is in a most favourable position to fix conditions to encourage the farmer to produce high quality milk on the one hand and to represent and protect the citizens of Canberra on the other. NEWCASTLE MAY ADOPT SYSTEM. “Before leaving Australia I visited Newcastle and met representatives of eleven local bodies with jurisdiction over the civic affairs of 125.000 people. Newcastle is talking a great, deal about the amalgamation of the various public bodies into one metropolitan body, on the lines of Greater Brisbane, and if this comes about there is every reason to believe that a municipal milk supply scheme for Greater Newcastle will receive immediate consideration. WELLINGTONS SUPPLY AS AN EXAMPLE. Mr Herron said that Wellington’s high favour indeed in Australia. lie had heard it mentioned many times, and no one had had hard words to say of it. in fact. Australians who hail visited Wellington had returned to their homes with nothing but praise for the svstem. .and the opinions of men of standing, such as Dr Gilruth and Dr MaeEachern. were known in Australia as well as in New Zealand. The report presented bv Mr Herron to the Melbourne City Council covers the ground in much detail, but just one paragraph may be taken as summarising all of his recommendations: “T believe that the onlv practical solution of the problem of milk supplv i? a combination of inspection of the farms, pasteurisation and the deliver' - in sterile, sealed bottles of milk obtain ed from the producers in accordance with suitable specified conditions as to grade, quality, methods of production, cooling, etc. Inspection may help to secure a cleaner and better milk, but not necessarily a safer milk. Pasteurisation eliminates the risk of milk-borne, infection. Delivery in properly sealed containers prevents contamination and re-infection after pasteurisation.”