WELLINGTON MILK.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1929, 11 December 1913, Page 7

WELLINGTON MILK.

SLIPSHOD INSPECTION.

A CONDEMNATORY REPORT. FROM PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY, Statements almost amounting to disclosures concerning the milk supply of Wellington were, made in tho findings of the Agricultural and Stock Commit-., toe of the House of Bcpresoiitativcs in a report presented to tho House yesterday. Tho origin of the inquiry was a petition to tho House by one,' F. A. Oroville, praying for. an inquiry into tho conditions under which milk was supplied' to tho citizens of Wellington. Sir Walter Buchanan, chairman of tiio committee, n>ad the following report, and moved that it be referred to tho Government for favourable consideration :—

1. The committee finds from the sworn evidence given before it that insufficient care is being exorcised by those responsible for a wholesome milk supply to the city of Wellington. 2. That the Live Stock Department accept, responsibility up to the Farm Gate, but the evidence shows insufficient veterinary inspection of the dairy cows; that many of tho milk cans are in such a battered, broken state from rough usage as to make it impossible to ■thoroughly clean them; and that the insanitary surroundings of some of the- cow-yards leaves much to bo desired. Carelessness is also shown in tho proper cleaning of even the best-conditioned cans. ■3. Milk is in sonifc'cases loaded and unloaded at railway stations in ■positions which might easily admit of contamination. Also, the milk cans arc in some cases mixed up with dead pigs and live fowls in railway trucks, which are not kept in a sufficiently clean condition. 4. That tho inspection from the Farm (late to the consumer by tho Health Department as to tho quality or cleanliness of tho milk supplied to the public is insufficient. 5. That the Government be requested to make an exhaustive inquiry during tho recess as to the most up-to-date and efficient systems extant, with a view to so reorganising the handling of the milk supply of the larger centres of the Dominion that it will be delivered to the consumer in as puro a con-

difiou as possible. Mr. H. G. Ell asked whether, in, view of tho serious statements contained in tho report, tho Government would next year bring down a Bill to give to local authorities more power than they now had to regulate the supply of milk to tho public. The Hon.'. D. Buddo said that as a member of the committee he wished to malic it clear that there was no direct evidenco that the milk supply of Wellington was contaminated, but the evidence generally was such; as to leave in the minds of tho committee some anxiety, and the committee had been unanimous in tlio report. It was a fact that most of the milk Was carried by >lie railways in good clean vans, which could not well be improved upon, but occasionally in rush times milk was carried under conditions that were notdesirable. Sir. J. A. Young urged tlio necessity for ensuring that wholesome milk was supplied to the public. Dr. A. K. Newman said he had boon informed by a.local milk supplier that his milk was frequently contaminated b.y being carried by the Railway Department in dirty trucks. He hoped the Government would next year bring in an efficient measure to take cognisance of tlio transit of the milk from the farm to the consumer, 110 hoped, also, that the Minister of Railways would see that no more mills cans wore carried in dirty cattle trucks. Mr. \V. H. D. Bell said that he was quite in sympathy with the report, but he wished it to be known that a ureal, deal of tho milk for Wellington did not come by rail, and it .arrived in a good condition. Tho Hon. \Y. V. Massey -said he considered it his duly to take, action concerning the matter in the report. The present position was that slock inspectors under the Agricultural Department looked after tho production of milk on the farm, and from tlio farm the milk was supposed to l?o looked after by the Health Department. He could not speak of Wellington, but ho could say what was done in Auckland, where tho inspection was m satisfactory as it was possible to make "it. Not only were the cattle inspected regularly, but also the yards, the sheds, the cans, and the water supply. Everything was looked into very thoroughly, and if tho cans were not suitable they were con* domnod. Now, if all this was done in Auckland, and be knew it was done, he saw no reason why o similar stale of affairs should not prevail in tho Wellington district. Ho intended to ask the officers of the Department'to report to him what was needed to improve tlio supervision in Wellington, And lie would see that the recommendations of the officers were given 'effect to. Sir Waller Buchanan said thai, the fact was that the divided responsibility for inspection had resulted in laxity. Milk-cans wore condemned by the veterinary authorities on tho farm, and then, owing to overlapping inspection, the battered cans were subsequently allowed to pass into use again. One of the cans which had been inspected by the c-onimitte had a leak slopped ' with soap. This would show bow slipshod were the methods of inspection. The evidence taken by the committee, showed that all the statements in tho .report were absolutely true.

Tlio motion that tho report ho referred to the Government for favourable .consideration, was agreed to,.