HOSPITAL MILK SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 199, 18 May 1920, Page 8

HOSPITAL MILK SUPPLIES

NOT ACCORDING TO LAW

DISPUTE BETWEEN BOARD AND CITY ' COUNCIL When the city was divided into blocks under the new milk supply system, the Public Hospital at Newtown was naturally included dn tho block in whioh it was located,'but the Hospital Board, instead of taking its daily supply of milk from the contracting company /for the block, elected to continue getting its milk from Mr. Strand,' of the Lower Hutt, and is still doing'so. The contractors have drawn the attention of the City Council to the fact, and the City Council has Iliad to remind the. board that a breach.of the law is being committed in tho board's non-consent to obtain its milk from the city station through the block contractor. Yesterday afternoon 1 a deputation consisting of '.Messrs; P. Castle (chairman), J. W. M'Ewan, G. Petherick, and Mrs. M'Vicar, of the- Hospital Board, waited on the City Council's Mi'.k Committee, to explain the position of the board in regard to its "milk supply. Mr. C{i6tle stated ,that the board had been informed by letter that it was committing a breach, of tho law. The attitude the board was taking up was that it was not being placed in a proper position in being forced to procure its milk from a certain company.' The Hospital took 110 gallons of milk per day. and that milk ovas fresher when it arrived than would be tho case with supplies got through the City Council." Moreover, the cost was lower; ■ ( ."n Exemption Sought. . » "We feel," said Mr. Castle, "that we should not have this restraint put upon us. We represent a large public body out to do its' very best for the, community as a whole, and rt is our intention to seek exemption .from the provisions of the 'Act for the board.' We do not know/whether the council hits/the power to grant suclV'exemption, but if that is not so, we intend to seek other means, and to that end would consult with the Minister of Public Health. It is just.a question as to whether we will; be pushed to act in that way, but my board considers it' necessary that we should-be exempted from the Act, and I osk you to facilitate the board in allowing the continuation of its supply of milk from the present-source." j'V ,■ .■'■ In Defence.-. \, The committee chairman' (Mr. W. H. Bennett) said that under the Empowering Act and its regulations under which they were, working.at present,'both the board and the farmer who was supplying it with.milk were breaking the law. The council had no power to go beyond the Act, whilst it was possible that the board could get its milk cheaper. He disputed the claim that it cou.d get it better than the city was able to supply. He resented the statement, and reminded the deputation l that, thougih jnvited to make a comparative test of the city milk with that privately supplied, the board liad not availed itself of the opportunity. Neither had the medical superintendent accepted the invitation to visit the sla* tion and see for himself, how the milk was treated. He would not like it'to go forth that their milk was not suitable for the requirements of the Hospital. Their'endeavour was to get a pure and aniplo supply of milk for their consumers, no rnatler who they were—the; Hos-, pital or anybody else. Councillor P. Frascr said; that, he hoped thero was no difference of opinion between, the council and the board. Many of the members of the council, indeed, all of them, he thought, were willing to arrange the matter as soon as possible. Indeed, after it came up before, he thought the committee was to have" met the board, and that it would have been satisfactorily reported on there. Hb quite agreed that-the city, milk was as good as any other. He did not think an amendment of the Act was requjred, for.he looked forward 'hopefully to the time when the Hospital would be pleased to get the city's milk. He asked if the '■Arbitration. Court was. not considering something in connection, with the, blocking system at the present time. Mr. J. ,'O'SheMCity Solicitor) said that was so. At present the company had the riglit) to supply the Hospital. The. matter 'of rearranging the blocks was iiHiand. Mr. A. Gray, K.C.i was acting -as., arbitrator, and, he thought, would finish; his work on Wednesday. Whether Mr. Gray would consider the Hospital case at all he' could not say, but tt* matter had been discuss-' ed with him. Mr. A. Ward ■ (manager) referred to the comparative tests 'offered to the bean! and not accepted.by it. (He asked if the medical;.superintendent' had ever made a'test,'. '•■' Mr. Castle: Of Strand's milk, yes. Mr. Ward: But not of the city milk? , " Mr. Castle said he'd'd not think so. He congratulated Mr. Ward on administering a very fine system of' milk.supply.The qualify of the milk was not 'so' m . ,1ß n in question,'but he could not guarantee to give milk to the board as fresh as it got it. i ' I The Douolb Hcatinn. . Mr 3. M'Vicar also congratulated the «ramifctce , on the splendid «ysten| it had ir-stituted. It was very fine indeed, and an immense improvement on what used to be. To pasteurise the milk at it had to be heated. ' . ' v Mr. Ward: To^ between 145 and 150 degrees Pahr. ■ . • Mrs. M'Vicar said that at the Hospital they dealt with the sick, n<*|; the well, and a good deal/)f the'milk was ron6umed by little children. For'these, when in a weak condition, the milk -hM to be humanised, which meant heaHng it to' 155 degrees Fahr. The two heatings (ii city milk were used)'Vwould absolutely unfit the milk for. weak children, as it spoilt the oVgestability of the milk. "If you gentlemen !*ad seen as much of Plunk'et babies and nursing as I have," said Mrs. .M'Vicar, "you would know what I mean, jthe whey of pasteurised and humanised milk is quite, different from that of humanised fresh )r- : lk. You give the former to - a baby and up it' comes! That is why milk is sent in from Miramar and other nenr-by farms in a fresh, state.. It is for the babies ' Councillor L. M'Kenzie sa : d that the near-by farm milk was allowed to como in fresh, not because it was of any better quality, but being handy it could.be distributed when quite fresh. ~■' Mrs. M'Vicar said she would not like to run the risk of a change. ' ; - ;' Mr. G; Petherick eulogised the city nn k supply, but pointed out that the milk obta-'n'ed in the morning was delivered at the Hospital by 10 a.m. It, came from one farm, and there was no mixing of the milk. The two points | they stressed were that they got the milk fresher and it came from one herd. • Mr 'B G. H. Burn said that was not so. No'dairy farmer .could supply 110 gallons a day from one herd. The milk did not come trombone herd or one farm. • Mr J W. M'Ewan said it was evident that the city milk nas not suitable for the Children's Hospital. All' they would ask t-bb committee was that, when the boaTd was seeking exemption from the Act, it would ; put no obstacle in the The chairman said it was. a matter of law, and at present there were no means by which they could go outside the law, so it was for 'the board to got an amendment of the Act. What steps the committeo would take in that regard he was ivnt prepared to say. They were there to do their best for the people they represented. . , , ;. , , Councillor M'Kenzie asked that when moving for an . amendment . the wmrd should make it apply only to the Hosp'tnl. If it WCTC mncle K enCT(l '« dozens would bo asking for exemption. Every little hospital would want exemption, and it would open tho door to undermining the'whole system..' . Mr. M'Ewan said they only mtonded to apply for the exemption of the board. He hoped the comniitte would work harmoniously with fern, so that they could go on as they were. .