SALE OF ADULTERATED MILK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 66, 11 December 1919, Page 12

SALE OF ADULTERATED MILK

MAGISTRATE'S SCATHING CONDEMNATION. n«r TelMjrinD—Ptpsb Afiocistlon Christchurcli, December !!. At tho Magistrate's Court to-day, i'.tonnrd Hndfield, who was not'represent®.:' by cimnsel, was charged that) on September 30, at Richmond, he unlawfully soid to Mark Kershaw, an officer appointed under the Sale of Foods and Drugs Act, 190S, adulterated milk, which did not comply with the slantiard prescribed by the regulations, ill that the milk fat was below standard. ' Tho Government Analyst's report was as follows:—Milk fat, 1.5 per cent.; milk solids other than milk fat, 9.4.1 per cent.; reductive test was good. Tho milk was 53.85 per cent, short of cream as calculated from tho standard of the milk fat. Defendant remarked that he milked Ins cows by -machines, and some cans might bo over (est and others under test. It was nearly twelve o'clock when the samples were taken. _Mr. M'Carthy, S.M.: Do you wish to give evidence or to leave things as tliev are?

Defendant (after hesitation): 111 leave tilings as they are. Mr. Raymond, Iv.C., said that in January, 1915, defendant had been convicted of selling milk below standard, and was fined. 011 August 30, 1919, he had lieen convicted for causing his milk cans to be_ upset and thus preventing! a sample bcjng taken by the inspector. It was the opinion of the Department that defendant was a persistent and deliberate offender. It was Tiis third offence.

The Magistrate: I would point out that this oltenco quite evidently has been wilfully committed. Under those circumstances tho Court has power to send you to gaol. This milk has been skimmed hy inking the cream off it, and selling the skimmed milk as pure milk. Defendant: No.

The Magistrate: Oh, yes, you dH. By your "action you were endangering the livps of little children who require the full quality of the milk. I see results of this in lny travels through New Zealand. A man who deliberately adulterates milk is nothing short of a murderor and should be tnoated as such. I am 7101 going to send you to gaol this time, but I will fine you ,£75, and order you to pay costs. I will Also order this conviction to be advertised ih all tiheChristchurch newspapers. If you come up again you will be sent to gaol. At this stago a . woman stenped into the body of tho Court and asked to be able to sav a few words. Mr. M'Cnrfchy: Who are you? "I am defendmifs wife," replied the woman. ''I want to say lie has never in his life skimmed bhe cream off the milk and sold skimmed milk as pure milk: Mr. McCarthy: I'm not going to alter my decision. Defendant has been hcforo the Court before, ami has sold miik below standard, and a.lso deliberately obstructed, the inspector. Defendant's wife again protested against the fine, but: the Magistrate repeated that ho would not alter his decision.