LONDON MILK.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3424, 9 June 1894, Page 5

LONDON MILK.

According to an article in the Economic Review, the Lond milkmen cannot say "cheating in all trades but oars " The writer states that he decided to go into the dairy trade, andat last found a moderate sized business about four-- miles from London, in a pretty but not very aristocratic suburb. The vendor 'was a man of high local reputation; he constantly asserted that he never did anything in business of which he was ashamed; he worked very hard; his reason for selling was a growing deafness; and he and his wife were constant attendants at a place of worship. A deposit of £IOO was made to seal the bargain, and then "the' process ot enlightenment began. First of all the purchaser discovered that it is necessary to dye milk before selling it; . This is. done by mixing a teaspoonfiil of liquid annatto with every eight quarts. Agaiust this universal custom he fought for some time till the customers protested against the white, colour of his milk, and-threatened to deal else\ where. He therefore dyed the milk a rich cream colour. Next if, was necessary to produce ''cooking butter' by mixing margarine and butter. Then came the problem of " nursery milk." All dealers sell what is called ''invalid's milk" or"nursery milk," at an euhanced price, supposed to be from cows kept especially to produce' a peculiarly nutritious' article. The writer asserts that " nursery milk" is a fiction pure and simple ; there is 110 such thing. "Nursery milk" is. ordinary milk sold in a sealed can. If it" does not-agree with the baby," . a teaspoonful of limewater is added to facilitate ; the infantile; digestion,' After this come the new laid " eggs, which were bought in cases of 1200 from France. Those in the top layer which were sold first, being jpresuinably the earliest laid, were the " new laid," the next were" best breakfast" eggs, and lower down they became . merely " fresh," at. ten, a shilling. Into all 'th'Bß3 secrets he was speedily inducted by the pious vendor. The latter, it must be sail, never watered his milk; but it was undoubtedly the truth that he sold more than ever was bought. His cans were; moreover, .vaslied in a copper where the family linen was boiled; they were brushed with a spoke brush, which was also used to wash the cart; and after cleaning they were hung in the stable to dry. Another discovery of a more pleasant character was that milk which is sold, at 4d, pd, and even 6d a quart,'is bought for 2|d to The ;prtirchaser : to his account, to have , done'.everything to win his customers to fair dealing, but such, he declares, is the gullibility of the public that they actually prefer the cock-and-bull stories that they are commonly told. Having resigned himself to a sort of half and half honesty, he found that he was at the; mercy of his round men, .who haviug to' account for the. quantity of milk that they take, put money in their pockets by watering it on their rounds and then selling an increased quantity. As for the dairies which are open- to , inspection, this writer declares that in 1 most casus they are merely decoys and do not supply more than a fraction of the milk alleged to be sold by; them. 'lt was to tribe care < takers and agents' clerks in order to jprocure the names of new -tenants ilwho riiight'be. secured as- customers. After three months our purchaser de e cided to,give it up, and : sold out for;a loss of half his capital,' ' The impbssi* ability of reform, he; declares, lies, in .tlie indifference- of - the purchasers.' Many tradesmen would gladly give up such practices, if the giving up did not involve the giving up their living, People regard the tricks of the trade ;.as the details for themselves.