"A PLAGUE SPOT"

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 235, 28 June 1919, Page 8

"A PLAGUE SPOT"

" SHOCKING STATE OF DAIRY

OWNER FINED £40

"This place must be ah absolute plaguo spot," said Mr. I.''. V. Frazor, fci.Al.., in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday, in fining Patrick Cavaiutgh a sum of .£-iU on a chargo of soiling milk other than that produced from a registered' dairy. Two charges of a i',iko nature were preferred against the defendant.

Dairy Inspoctor 'J'. C. Webb conducted tho prosecution, aud Mr. ii. K. Uirkcaldie appeared for tho defendant aud entored a plea of guilty. Counsel for the defence said that ,hia client had made application for a license, but it was refused till such timo as certain improvements wero otl'ected. Tho defendant carried out certain improvements, and had procured the necessary material lo do 1 the other work, but was unable to secure the necessary labour. Mr. Webb said that the (lain* was n menace to public health. Tho place was in <1 filthy condition, an»l ho had warned the defendant that ho must not sell any more milk. On a number of occasions the defendant had been notified that ho must koep his farm clean, but tho whole surroundings wero found to be very disgusting. The Department had given tho defendant evory opportunity to improve . his place, but he had done nothing. He .continued to sell milk in spito of the .Department's notification that ho must not-do so. 'The Department considered that the case should be dealt with severely. George Btair, dairy inspector, said that he visited tho defendant's daily veiy frequently, and had found it in a very bad state. On Juno *1- he found the premises in a very unsatisfactory state, and complained to the defendant, informing him that he would have to havo repairs and improvements effected at onco. The renewal of the liceuse to defendant was refused, as the place.was considered insanitary. On June It no improvements had been effected, and tho premises wero in even a worse condition. The dofendont was then notified that ho 'must not sell any more milk, but in spite'of this official warning ho had. continued to sell to his customers.

Similar evidence was given by Mr. Reid, also o. dairy inspector. ' His Worship: Is this the farm to which the Health Department traced a case of tynhoid? . / . Witness: Yes. . His Worship: How many cases of tynhoid wero traced to this dairy? ' Witness: I cannot say—there were a number. . Continuing, witness said that the Department knew that there was a case of sickness at tho dairy, but he did not givo .the Department any opportunity to 'discover the individual sull'ering/ It was some time before he was found, and subsequent: cases..of typhoid wero'traced to this. dairy.

Mr. Webb then gave evidence on similar liDPy, and said thiii on ono occasion some (lead fibeeD wero found in a creek near the defendant's property. The defendant, wlm pleaded guilty 1o the charges, gave evidence, nnd said lliat lie bad taken, stops to improve his farm. As to ,t,he ollegutions regarding the dead sheep found In. the creek, be said that lie wiis not aware that they were there : and lie denied absolutely that lie used water from this creek. The sheep were found a mile or a mile and a half up the creak from his farm. With ward to the-disposal of stable refuse, he said that he had acted on the advice of tho inspectors and given iustrutcions to his assistants. I] e. had done all he could but he was unable to obtain the necessary labour. His three 'grandsons, who were oil the farm, went to the front, and he had to rely on. bo.v s 'to do'the work. As to the case of sickness, he had ha<i the man removed to the Hospital as'soon as ( he found he was ill. "The evidence ,in this case lias diselosed a state of affairs' which is most revolting," said His Worship, in summing up. "It'was shocking' that such a condition of affaira could exist close to a city like Wellington. We have direct evidence, that a number of casts of typhoid were traced' to the milk supplied from (liis dairy. There was also evidence Mint the defendant enmloved a waft suffering from enteric. He blames a shortage of labour, but everyone iii business has to suffer to some extent from tho same cause. As against tlmt the. inspector said ho could get more labour for the defendant, or he could'get someone fro take over the,herd. Another excuse put.forward by the defendant was that instead of, being, able' to control Ins labour the labour controls him I do not think that all tho excuses of the ueiendant ore genuine. He must know what the inspectors remiired, a nd lio is cute enough to put- oft" any inquiry. as he . did when the mall was' siok. " Tho regulations are there, the inspectors have told him exactly what in. do. the health ot the community is in jeopardy, and the defendant jievcr carries nut tfie instructions sent to Irim, and he continues to Bupply milk after his certificato of regis-' trauon has been refused. Ito applies to a number of private houses."to hotels, of all, to a. number of private hospitals. I am inclined to think there is a good deal of won't about the defendant rather than can't. X am 'very glad that the dairy, inspectors .have brought this case. We hnve sometimes hard complaints About (he slate of dairies and a place like this must be an absolulo plague snoi:. I w3ioul(] be failing in my duty if I did not impose a very severe penalty." The defendant -was" convicted and fined MO, and ordered to pay costs on one charge, and on the second count would.be convicted nnd discharged.