CITY MILK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 99, 21 January 1919, Page 6

CITY MILK

NEW STATION OPERATING-

THE FIRST DAY

Tlie City Milk Station, was used for the first time yesterday for the reception and treatment of milk to be retailed to consumers by the vendors as agents for the corporation. The ven, dors were able to obtain sufficient milk from their suppliers in the country to carry them over the day, and only a small quantity of milk was treated for sale, on that day./ The new scheme really comes into'effect to-day, for tho whole of the supply for to-day. was received into the station- during last night, and there weighed,. tested, and treated before being measured out to the vendors for distribution. All milk comes into the station ; by motor lorry. Some of it is conveyed only from the railway station, bub a considerable quantity of it is brought right from tho farm by motor conveyance. Tlie load from ft '.orry is taken up to the top floor of the station by electric lift. The milk is weighed automatically as it is poured into the pans, and as soon as a can is emptied it is sent down an inclined chut<- into the bands of the men whose task it is to wash and sterilise the cans ready for return to ttfe farmer from whom they hav* come. There are many hands for the work, for it is essential that' it shall all be done quickly, in order that there may be no congestion of empty cans. Also it is necessary that all the empties shall be loaded on to the lorry which lias brought them. The dri/er knows his round, and as he knows whence he obtained the full cans he knows where the empties must be returned. This involves a certain amount of waiting, but it is not avoidable at present. When the empties have been sent, down to the lorry, that lorry may draw out and room is made for'another. Presently it will not be necessary for a lorry to wait for empties at the same staiid as the full cans are' unloaded. Tlie appliances for 'the automatic return of the cans to the cround level is not yet set up. When it is working the empty cans will be delivered at another spot, aud this waiting will not be necessary.

Inside the factory the milk is passed through a big pasteuriser, which raises it to the required temperature and delivers it immediately, to the series of copiers through which it has to As quickly as the milk flows from the big bulk vats it is passed through -.the other appliances. It is raised to sterilising heat, and reduced in a matter of minutes to a temperature of from 34 to 38 degree's Fahrenheit. In this condition-it is filled into the cans ready for dispatch, and if necessary the cane will be stored, in cool chambers. Only one of the .cool rooms is at present ready for use, but this one will serve for the present. The arrangement for the measuring of milk to the vendors is very ingenious,- and it will be surprising if it does not work smoothly.

One of the fears was that there would he confusion in the distribution of the milk from the station to the vendors. It was calculated that there would he about 100 carts coming to the place for milk during certain hours of the day, i and there were obvious reasons why the management should regard this as an unsatisfactory arrangement. A better plan has at tho last moment been agreed upon. The council has contracted for a chargo of a farthing a gallon to convey the vendor's milk out from the station on to the vendor's run, and there hand it over to him. This' will avoid congestion -at the station, and will avoid also the presence within the biiilding of so many large animals at a time when there was in' course of treatment an article of food, and an' article particularly subject to' contamination. •

The work's' aro '■ not by any means complete yet.-.'Some of the old plant is still lying about the premises, and other parts of the building are being turned inside out. When everything lias been done, which will be in about two weeks, the. station will be reasonably equipped for the work to be done. It will bo' far from an ideal station.' because tho building was not designed for the purposes for which it is to bo now-used, but-it should serve. The milk coming to the people should be twelve hours fresher than was the rule under the old private ownership arrangements, and it should be incomparably better for that. It is treated by a good plant by careful. people, whose duty it will be to take all reasonable precautions' for the protection of the r/üblic. It will be surprising if the milk is not better as a consequence. One appliance which will he set up in the station when it can be obtained will be a clarifier, or -cleaner of milk. At present the milk is strained merely. This new apparatus should improve the milk in respect of cleanliness very much.