DEAR MILK.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1241, 25 September 1911, Page 4

DEAR MILK.

[To the Editor.] Sir,—lt ;cems strange to rtt the indi[T;rcnco shown by public lucn at the alarming increase in the cost of living, for at the last City, Council meeting a deputation of milk vendors waited upon the council protesting against tho proposed milk regulations, and to lnr their apjtou.l has mot with no response. Tliwo rcfjuhlions embrace much, and in theory do much pood but in practice just disorganisation., All milk is to be inspected by council officials, and there will have to bo a number of them with plenty of salaries, commodious building for inspection and storage, and probably cattle inspectors hunting the tubcrcuiinc germ. All pretty on paper, but who will pay tho consumer? He will have to pay for two-dnvs old milk, not fresh. It will take almost a da- - to got tho milk from the cow to the depot, and then, it has to go through examination. It ;s tho intention of tho council to keep the milk overnight and supply next day. A farmer is in business to make money like all the rest of us, and let him net his milk condemned once or twice it will divert to tho.dairy factory. The city will be short, as we were last summer. Tho price must necessarily increase, and tho consumer pays or goes without. Now, iyhat reason has- the council to attempt this work when it has the remedy in its hands at present, for tho council grant all dairy licenses, and the Government have plenty of pure food inspectors. If we have dairies at present im.lt for that purpose, who is to blame but the council, and if they cannot control their present duties, how can they control mutters of greater magnitude? Then again tho Government have inspectors examining cows now, and pay certain, compensation to the farmer whose beast is destroyed. Is the council willing to pay the milk suppliers in tho same manner? We all like pure, milk, and wo have an excellent method in progress now of getting it, if we avail ourselves by properly utilising that method. Every day the housewife complains of the- increase in the cost of living. Tho Government have decided io consider tho matter, but still we find tho public men heaping up the cost unnecessarily, r.nd tho cost of production always adds to tho cost of consumption, which moans, in other words, that the public, pay. and they must bo prepared to pay more for'milk in future, and get it hours older tlmn they do now, whieli will trouble- tho housewife in keeping it fresh in tho good old summer time.—l am, ole., H. LAKE. Ingestre Street.