CITY MILK SUPPLY

Evening Star, Issue 21752, 21 June 1934, Page 2

CITY MILK SUPPLY

ACCREDITED CERTIFICATES TD BE ISSUED COUNCIL ADOPTS GENERAL COMMITTEE’S PLAN There was nothing very controversial about the discussion on the city milk supply at last night’s meeting of tho City Council. A clause m a special report of the General Committee pointed out that a draft of the proposed by-law to give effect to the committee’s previous recommendations would be submitted to a special statutory meeting of the council. Before this meeting, which was merely formal, was held Crs J. L. MTndoc and W. H. Borne touched on various points of the scheme for raising the standard of the milk, and after the former, as chairman of the Genera! Committee, had replied to a number of queries the clause was adopted. Cr M’lndoe, who moved the adoption of the clause, said there was no obligation on the part of the milk suppliers to obtain an accredited certificate, but they must get licenses. He wanted to make it clear that if a supplier represented himself as accredited when he was not he was liable to be fined. On tho other hand, if ho did have a certificate and failed to maintain the required standard of milk it was possible that his certificate would be taken away from him, though every opportunity would be taken by the inspectors to find out the root cause of his not maintaining it. For the present the standard was to be 100,000 bacilli per cubic centimeter, but the medical men had pointed out that when the scheme had been in operation some time this standard would be raised. There should be no difficulty about maintaining the standard mentioned, and milk of that quality was perfectly fit for human consumption. In allaying the fears of a newspaper correspondent, Cr MTndoe added that the corporation inspector and tho Government inspector would not work in conflict. He might say that the two always worked in harmony. Milk could always be taken to a private chemist for analysis if there was any doubt as to the accuracy of the test, but Dr Ritchie had said that the Government inspector had never yet been proved wrong. The committee was greatly indebted to Dr Hercus, who would undertake the testing for bacilli content. The motion was seconded by Cr W. H. Borrie, who said that they were aiming at purer milk in respect to bacilli content, it would be gratifying to the public to know that bovine tuberculosis was very slight in New Zealand compared with the Home Country. There was very much less here, and 'Jhe herds,, on the whole, .were free. In tho future it was hoped that tho trouble would be reduced to a minimum. The test of purity did not inflict any great cost on the producers, for it was mainly a matter of absolute cleanliness in the byres and in the handling of the milk. In Gisborne the system had been working very satisfactorily, and with special care it was possible to reduce greatly the bacilli content. Cr Bcgg said he would like to have some information on the financial aspect of the matter. Was it going to cost the council any more? .Did the inspector issue the licenses? Who issued them ? There were some trades in the city in which some people had licenses and others did not. Cr M‘lndoe: Be specific. What trades P Cr Begg: An offensive trade. He wont on to say that the next thing they would hear of would be an application for more inspectors. Cr Shepherd said ho noticed the proposed license fee was 20s. Was the committee satisfied that the fee was sufficient to carry out the work which it was proposed should be done. He understood several tests bad to _be made a year of each supplier’s milk, and that the fee bore the cost of those tests. It was proposed to grant certificates to accredited suppliers, but, if the list of those people were not advertised, the people would., not know who they were. Though the proposal was a great step forward, tending to improve the quality of milk, he did not think it covered everyone. What of the jieople who supplied milk to the larger customers? The companies no doubt delivered milk up to a certain standard but that milk was blended with other milk. Twenty-five people might supply high-grade milk to a company, but five might supply milk with germs and filth, and yet the blended milk might be all right. Cr M'lndoe, in reply, said the bylaws would be administered by the inspectors. It was not anticipated that more inspectors would be needed, but even that would be worth while. He thought it was the intention of die committee to advertise at once, but suppliers themselves would make the utmost use of the list. They would do the advertising. In regard to Cr Shepherd’s remarks there were certain difficulties in giving certificates to sunpliers. He thought the matter could be covered by putting the onus on the vendor of milk to keep it up to standard. From his own knowledge of the companies they were extremely particular about the quality of their milk. Tlve motion was carried. At a special meeting held later tho resolution was confirmed. The Town Clerk explained the legal procedure necessary, and said there would bo a further opportunity for discussion in four weeks’ time.