MILK CLEARING HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 98, 18 January 1918, Page 6

MILK CLEARING HOUSE

NEW METHODS OF WORKING PROPOSED AN AUCKLAND OPINION The Health Committee of the City Council met yesterday afternoon to consider tho report of tho Special Committee on tho milk clearing station. The committee, which consists of Messrs. Oliver, Ward, and Williams, had presented its report on tho previous day, but tho nature of tho report has not been made available to the Press.

After the meeting tho Mayor stated that tho committee had given tho proposals careful consideration. The proposals involved tho introduction of new methods for tho working of the clearing station, and tho committee decided to adjourn its deliberations till further information on certain points was obtained. When this information is to hand the committee will bo called together again. Yesterday's meeting, the Mayor added, took somo time, and the report submitted by the special committee was -given very thorough consideration.

In the absence of official information it is impossible to say definitely what the recommendations of tho special committee are, but it is understood that the changes suggested are considerable, and that some of them would entail drastic alterations to tho present clearing house. It will probably be found that bigger premises, greater vat accommodation, somo method of treating the milk (cooling or pasteurisation), and more men to work the place are among the recommendations of the Special Committee. Changes such as these would involve considerable extra expense. The question of city milk supply is interesting the people of Auckland, as well as the people of "Wellington. Tho Auckland "Star-" publishes what it considers a valuable opinion on the subject by Mr. T. H. Chapman, of Ambury's Ltd. Mr. Chapman is described as an experienced man in the milk trade, and in tho course of his interview he touches on the "Wellington clearing houso scheme. Ho says

"I certainly would not condemn the Wellington scheme since I believe the intention and aim of its organisers was altogether worthy. The scheme aimed at passing all milk, with minor exceptions, through the municipal clearing house, where the inspectors satisfied themselves as to its duality and sweetness, and if it failed in Wellington, whore nearly all the milk arrives by tho one route on the rail, and would therefore_ be easy to pass through such a depot, its application in other centres would be far _ more difficult. Tako Auckland, for instance; every road as well as rail bears its quota of the sup l ply to the city, and in this climate to delay delivery until inspection at it central depot, entailing additioul distance and time in transit, would certainly not improve matters. To succeed at all such a scheme would require a revolution in the hours ok milking on the farm, and earlier trains for bringing into the city. We have to learn occasionally that the apparently ideal is not commercially possible. We Imre no successful municipal venture on general lines that I am aware of, on record, which might be a guide. There are centres in England where municipalities have undertaken the sale of milk specially in the interests of the babies, and I think I ain right in stating that in each case the rates had to contribute largely to the cost of handling. In America there are centres whero 'certified' milk is sold. A medical committee certifies to tho quality and purity of the milk, if lie producer complies with certain rigid and expensive regulations relating to the farms, premises, and herds, and a requirement that the bacteria contents bslimited to about 10.000 per c.c., and this milk retails at from 9d. to lOd. per quart. However, the adoption of certain measures for the uniform cleaning and handling of milk, beyond what, is at present required, would be in the interests of public health, and these could be ensured under our municipal by-laws."