THE MILK VENDOR IN REPLY,

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2428, 6 April 1915, Page 8

THE MILK VENDOR IN REPLY,

Sir, In view of the reckless, misleading, and utterly unjustifiable statements made at the last' meeting of the Wellington Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, I trust that you will allow me space for a reply, inasmuch as I have supplied the Hospital with milk for upwards of five yearß past. According to Mr. J. W. M'Ewan, Dr. Elizabeth Platts-Mills made a report "a year ago" on the quality of the milk, which was so inferior that it was unfit for use, and she was reluctantly compelled to feed the children .on patent foods. It' is certainly curious that I was never made aware either of the alleged "report" nor was any complaint ever made to me regarding the milk. I can assure your readers that ten gallons of milk ■ were duily left at the Children's Hospital. If the children were being fed on patent foods on account of the'dangerous nature of that milk, why was the milk paid for? Why was no complaint made to ine? Why was not the contract cancelled? What became of tho milk?

Again, ■ when my contract expired on October 31, 1914, the board exffended the same for live months. Would they have done so if they had any fault to find with the milk ? Are we to believe that, in spite of an adverse report from Dr. Elizabeth I'latts-Mills to' the effeot that the milk was unfit for use they not only continued to take it, but extended my contract for five months? Moreover, I havo in my possession a lettor from the secretary of the board (Mr. Coyle), dated March 26 last, asking me to continue supplying the Hospital for the month of April. Of course. I havo refused -to do so, but the request is exceedingly significant in view of the attacks emanating from Dr. Elizabeth Platts-Mills mid. Mr. J. W. M'Evan. I may add that several members of tho Hospital staff still desire me to continue supplying them, whence it would appear that not all the staff take much need of the report of Dr. Elizabeth Platts-Mills! If there is any truth in the allegations made it is certainly significant that no coiuglaint has ever been made by the late Superintendent of the Hospital, Dr. H. Hardwick Smith.

Mr. J. W. M'Ewan is reported to liavo said, further, that "an inspection" (of my farm presumably) "had revoalod insanitary conditions; also that ten cows which previously gavo milk for tho Hospital had been condemned as suffering from tuberculosis." This is a string of gross inaccuracies. Dr. Elizabeth I'latts-ilills did certainly visit my farm on one occasion, and sho then intimated that everything was very satisfactory, but sho suggested that a steriliser was required, and added that she would like the milkers to be clad in white! Not one hint was given that there was anything seriously wrong. Yet Mr. J. W. M'Evan's remarks certainly convey tha impression that ten of my cpwt were by. feat.cm of re-

presentations made by Dr. Elizabeth Platts-Mills. The fact is that I have never had ten cows, nor any cows, condemned since the visit of that distinguished lady!

As for the allegation tint tho Health Department lias reported unfavourably 011 the milk, it is absolute)}; false to aver that the Department over complained that the milk supplied by mo was tuberculous.

Surely comment is needless. Yet tho public are asked to believe that 1 am to 1)3 classed with the "baby killers of Scarborough!" It is to be regretted that such misleading and unjustifiable allegations should be made. ■ Though the board could have at any time cancelled my contract with them, they not only made no complaint, but voluntarily extended it for I've months, and i would liave been taking-my milk for tho current month wore it not that I refuse to supply the Hospital any longer. I leave it to your readers to deduco from these facts how much value is to be attached to the statements referred to.—l am, etc., F. S. WITTON. Wadestown, March 31. THE "THOMAS TRANSMISSION." Sir, —My attention lias been called to a, paragraph which appeared in your issue of March 19 regarding tho Thomas transmission, wrongly referred to as the "Thompson transmission." The true inventor of this system is Mr. John Godfiey Parry Thomas, son of the vicar of Holywell, North Wales. It is only in connection with the commercial development of his many traction inventions that the writer has been associated with Mr. Thomas, who is a trained electrical and mechanical engineer, and many helievo, without rival at the present time as a practical inventor. The Thomas transmission, to which all his chief inventions are subsidiary, is a form of variable speed gear, which in the case of a motor-car takes the place of the gear-box and clutch. It abolishes all clashing of gears, clutching and declutching when changing speed, is extremely quiet and simple in operation, and.what is more important, particularly in the ca6e of commercial vehicles, it results in a- fuel-saving of between 20 per cent, and 30 per cent. So far this system has been applied with success to vehicles of various types, ranging in power from 12 h.p. to 200 n.p. The system differs from that used on the small petrol electric rail-car, at present running between Thorndon Station and Johnsonville in that, although it, too, involves the use of electric apparatus, ' such apparatus never deals with more than a fraction of the total power of the engine, and for normal running a - "top speed" is provided in which the drive is purely mechanical, the electric transmission then being cut out, and much waste thereby avoided. A coach which will be running' on the above section within the next- few months will prove the suitability of the Thomas system for branch-line work, and.for all rail services, both heavy and light, subject to tunnel smoke nuisance. It is the writer's opinion and that of many engineers who have had an opportunity of studying the advantages of this system that it will eventually displace the use of heavy steam locomotives on many railways, and that it offers a cheap form of traction for small towns which cannot afford the heavy first cost of eloctric tram systems.—l am, etc., HEDLEY J. THOMSON, Managing Director, The Thomas Transmission, Ltd.