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PURE MILK.

IMPROVING THE CITY SUPPLY. STATE AID SOUGHT, CLEARING-HOUSE PROPOSAL. MINISTERS SYMPATHETIC. Various proposals for the improvement of the Wellington city milk supply wero put forward by a deputation representing tho City Council which interviewed tho Right Hon, W. F. Masse.y (Prim© Minister and Minister of Agriculture) anc tlio Hon. E. H. Eihodos (Minister of Public Health) yesterday. Dr. Frongloy,-of the Health Department, was present. Tlio Mayor (Mr. J. P, Luke), who introduced tho deputation, said that tho Health Oommitteo of the City Council had been considering tho question of obtaining a better and safer milk supply for Wellington. It was essential, to his mind, that tho dairy herds should befree from tuberculosis and that the conditions on the farms should be good. He complimented the Agricultural Department upon what it had already accomplished in this direction. It was not for him to say whether still nsoro could be done by the Department in the future. As Mayor of the city he was convinced that it wo-uld be the right thing to establish a municipal' milk depot. Councillor J. Godber (chairman of the City Council Health Committee) said that they were sure tliey could rely upan, the co-operation of the Government in improving tho Wellington milk supply. In tho past their efforts had been frustrated. Tho Act passed in 1911 was very good in its way, but did not confer adequate powers upon tho Council. It was, essential in tho first place that ; depot and cool storage should bo provided. They had oomo to ask the Government to provide a site adjacent to tho railway for a clearing-house and cool store. Eighty per cent, of the milk consumed in Wellington was carried by rail, and as. to tho remaining portion which was carted in petitions had been received from, dairy farmers iji tho Makara district and elsewhere in which they stated, that they, wero quite willing to fall .in with the clcaringJiouse proposal. 1 , Mr. Massey remarked that a clearing houso would not guarantee the purity of the milk.

A Farcical System. In this Councillor Godber concurred. He added that the present system was a farce. In addition to tho establishment of a clearing-house there was need for a more rigorous inspection of stock and a more frequent inspection of dairies. Also it was heccssary that conditions of transport should be greatly improved. Councillor Fletcher" Railway Department j Mr. .Massey: What is wrong with the Railway Department? Councillor Fletcher: Mr. Godber will tell you. Mr. Massey: I am asking you. Mr. Fletcher: We are all familiar with tho conditions in the country stations. Mr. Massoy : I want, to got at some way of improving this matter. Councillor Godber: Wo think you could get tho milk vans insulated, and thero should be a laboratory at which milk could be tested. At present millc came m ordinary covered trucks, and sometimes it .was- carried in tho sanio compartments with dead piga and os'en with lire pigs. _'Mr. iMassey: That ? !is.; a statement I must ask you to give mo something definite about. I cannot it to go: uncontradicted.

, , r * Godber: No, I. was Wrong there'; dead pigs I should havo said. Mr. Rhodes: That. statement (about Jive pigs) was mado in the. House, hutno proof was forthcoming. ' Councillar Godber said that tlio in.l « aS not os complete as it 6hould bo, and there 'wag .not th ° ™ itk Irm th *> time it left the farm The condemnation'of a calf at tho abattoirs recently had brought to light the fact that milk from m,n!w Ca tl ad r ken <fe«but«l round the district for some time. His t° n "+,v?, opinion .ftat pasteurisation would not be effective, tll „ „ And'jt destroy some of th ° S°°d qualities m the milk Tins was confirmed by Dr. Frengley. Councillor Godber said that the aim should be to procure milk in'a-s pure a state as possible. There was as much nrXLI l™. , mi ' lk aS that produced by tubercular cows. The City Council desired to,have full control over the proposed milk depot, in order that its supervision might bo effective ,ifu . f'™, ".rose at this stage about the Acts relating to the WellingTo^h m kj S yj?-R r » which were passed in 1910 and 1911. Mr. Godber said that they were n<jt quite' clear as to the amended legislation which should- be promoted.

Full Control Sought. Councillor Fletcher said that what tho Uty Council sought was full control of the milk supply of the city. The Bill of tyiu was abandoned because it left it open to any copipany to ignore the con--1 cations established under the Act •Mr. Massey: No. He pointed out that under the Act it rested with the' Minis- , tor of Publio Health, to license compaii--1l S a given to tho Uity uouncil to acquire any milk supply business in tlio crfc/. . Councillor Fletcher said that the milk supply at present was bad. Mr. Massey: What do you want in the way of legislative authority that you have not got now ? Councillor Fletcher: We want the whole control of the milk after it reaches the city. We want the Government to look after the milk at the dairies and in traiisit. Councillor T. C. Hislop said that- the mam object of the deputation was' to ask the Government to.f rovide a site 1 for tho proposed depot. All the legislation required in the meantime was an Act providing that all milk must pass through this depot. The existence of thedepot would obviate the evils that aroso from the cans standing about at railway stations." Mr. Massey asked what- it was proposed to do in the case of farmers who drove their milk into the city and retailed it. • Councillor Godber said that these suppliers had indicated their willingness /to work under tho clearing-house system. . Mr. Massey remarked that tlio establishment of a clearing-hoiise would entail an increase in the price of milk. Councillor Godber said that an increase of ono penny, per gallon would cover the cost of efficient'inspection. Ho added that it was estimated that at present tho citizens of Wellington paid £10,000 a year for water -used as an adulterant.

Prosecutions Ineffectual, Dr. Frengloy 6aid that the Health Department's prosecutions wen* ineffectual. Tlio penalties impored were slight, and offenders knew that if a sample wore taken from the same suhplier's milk twico in 0110 week it would be called persecution. It followed tint convicted Offenders put more water in next day to make np for the fine.

MR. MASSEY IN REPLY. ANXIOUS.TO ASSIST CITIZENS. The Prime Minister sitid that he was anxious to assist tho citizens of Wellington in this matter. It seemed to huii that tho principal grievance mentioned arose out) of tho amditions on tho

farms. Ho thought that it should be made absolutely impossible* foil 1 milk to be supplied to the citiaons of Wellington or anywhere else, coming from diseased animals. Also it was essential that sanitary conditions ' should exist on the farms and in tho dairies. He was going to see, as Minister of Agriculture, that animals were examined often enough to ensure their being absolutely healthy. Animals which were found to unhealthy would either b.o condemned straight away, or the inspector would refuse to let them bo.used for the production of milk. A very great deal could be done by inspection to ensure a satisfactory milk supply. .STards and slteils should be concreted just as slaughterhouses were, and milk should .not- bo produced except where & good water -supply was availablo for cleansing purposes. Bo thoroughly agreed with the suggestion that milk should not bo carried in trucks used for the conveyance of other goods. If it was possible to insulate the trucks, so much the better. It seemed to him that if the milk was good when it arrived in Wellington, tllero should bo very little difficulty. However, if they wanted a clearing-house, ho -was not going to raise any objection. A clear* ing-hoiiso would bo useful in aiding tho "leteclion of adulteration with Water. Cool storage would be expensive, and in any case should not be necessary, excopt- in the summer months. Ho had no doubt that Parliament would givo the city all tho powers that it asked tor. in this matter. The city had considerable powers already, but- the-y could bo increased. _As to the request for a site in. the vicinity of the railway station, ho could only pass it ©n to the Minister of Railways, who -was trustee for the land in question. So asked them to remember that anything tho Government, might do ih Wellington it would ho asked to do elsewhere.

THE HON. R, H* RHODES. PROPOSED ACTION COMMENDED, The Hon. R. H. Rhodes said that ho welcomed this move on tho part of Wellington, and ,hoped that it would ho followed up in other cities, He hoped also that they would be thorough in their effort-s to secure a pure milk ply. Tho-price of mill; might he increased, but on the other hand a saving would bo effected if . the council undertook the distribution of the. milk. and did a,way with the multiplicity of carts in the'same Streets. Ho Was with them in their efforts, and would back Up anything Mr. Massey might do in th'i-s tnatter.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19140206.2.90

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 8

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,548

PURE MILK. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 8

PURE MILK. Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1977, 6 February 1914, Page 8

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