THE MILK PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 63, 7 December 1917, Page 6

THE MILK PROBLEM

SERIOUS LEGAL TROUBLE

DEPUTATION TO THE MINISTER

Another difficulty has arisen about the working of the milk clearing-sta-tion, to be established by the Wellington City Council. Under the legislation now existing it is clear that tho council has been given... powers to compel suppliers of milk i'or consumption, 111 the city to put their niilk through an approved clearing-station for lest and such other examination as may be necessary. The difficulty is that the station which is being prepared has nob been fully approved. Uwing to the war it has not been possiblo for the council to go on with the construction and equipment of a complete station, and tho present proposal covers only the establishment of a partially-equipped station to serve until something better is obtainable. 'To this station tlie Minister has given only partial approval, in the following terms:—"Site and plan, approved as part of a milk station, and only as a temporary expedient." Now doubt has been raised as to whether the council has power, to insist upon milk suppliers sending their milk into such a station.

A deputation from the City Council waited upon the Minister of Publio Health (the Hon. G.-.W. Russell) yesterday, and the difficulty of the council was stated by. the. Mayor and councillors comprising the deputation. They said that it'appeared Ithat unless tho approval was made / complete it would be open to question whether the temporary station which the council was establishing was a station legally constituted under the Act. If this contention should be held to be valid-ill would mean that some, of the milk coming into the city would not pass through the station at all.

The Minister said that he could not / give a "egal opinion;' His approval had been given in the form in which it had , been given on the advice of officers of the Department. His recollection was that when the council' approached him , before they had no , idea then of compelling all suppliers'" to pass all their milk through the station; . He thought that when the first' proposal was made to him the idea was that the building for which approval-was-_sought was to be used "only as a" receiving station for milk coming into 'the "city by train, a. place at winch the" cans"could be cleaned and so on. If the-scheme was to be so very much larger, if tho idea now was tliat all the milk to be sold in the city was to go ■ through the station, then it seemed to him that the station mkhl have to be enlarged. Dr. Frengley,'Deputy Chief Health Ofiicer, replying to a question by tho Minister, said that" ho'did not think it would bo possible.to undertake the testing and distribution of milk as provided for in the' Act. unless the station were fitted; iip with, ice chambers, where the milk could'bo retained while the tos'ts were being carried out. The Mayor admitted that the council had not been ati present able to provide for all the facilities contemplated in a milk-clearing station in terms of the Act. v lt wafe for the Minister to say whether lie wouliT allow the restricted scbemo:.to.go.through, or whether he would hold-it up, and so allow fhe present scandalous conditions to continue. .. •: -.■-:•

The Minister., when it was pointed out.to,him previously that the whole scheme could, not bo put into operation he agreed to give all the assistance in his- power, and he had given the fullest approval he was entitled to give to the temporary scheme. In reply to Councillor, Wright (chairman of the Public Health Committee). Dr. Frengle.v,.said that the processor, testing would bo that the examining officer would'exaniiueVtho milk as to colour, freshness, and freedom from dirt, if necessary making a centrifugal test for dirt. Ho 'would then take samples from the cans and submit them to the Gerber test, but one man could 'not test morn than 24 samples in that, way in 'an 'hour. That would mean delay, and to prevent the milk from deteriorating -they' must keep_ it in a cool chamber. Hβ' could not give legal advice, but bis own opinion was that unless they'carried out the whole of the testing,- as set ont in the Act of 1010. they could not- be said to have established a-milk station within the meaning of the Act, and therefore they could not forco.people to use it. From the terms of the council's application for permission .to erect the temporary station be gathered , that an officer would take samples which would then be submitted to the Dominion Analyst. The Mayor asked, what help the Minister could give.fcljem, .in making a charge. " ■- The Minister:Jou have power to dn this now, but 1 bice it that ynn do not want to charge R.a gallon on the milk that goes through the station while the rest is free from.,this.;.. In reply to a ■further question bv Couneillor Wright.,Dr.. Frengley said that the tests he had described would, in his opinion, "be" sufficient to with the Act. After further, dkcu&sion it was decided that Councillor Wright, the City Solicitor, the city milk exuert (Mr. OlliverV and Dr. Frengley should confer and renort to tho Minister, who would do all in his power to assist the council. He advised the council, bowever, to forego the }<3. a gallon charge until further legislation was obtained, unless it were fully satisfied of its power to enforce it. It might he desirable also to commence the work on a voluntary basis.'