ANNUAL HEALTH REPORT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 9 November 1901, Page 3

ANNUAL HEALTH REPORT.

Our Milk Vendors.

All more or less Defective.

(OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Wellington, Nov. 8. The slipshod methods in use by the vendor, as well as the buyer of milk, are animated upon. It would be unfair (the Health Officer states) to a great number of milk vendors to say that all are dirty, but the fact remains that not a few of them take little or no trouble to profess the virtue of cleanliness, even if they have it. The cans are not bright, the carts are often dirty, and the clothing of the dispenser not infrequently shows unmistakeable evidence of a rubbing acquaintanceship with cows and cowbails. Then, again, the customer does what he can to aid and abet the vendor by providing an open vessel like a jug to receive the dust and dirt as well as the milk. It seems marvellous that no company has seen its way to undertake the retailing of milk in the tasteful and cleanly way in which one sees it done on the Continent, or in some parts of London. Bright, clean carts, clean, polished cans, pasteurised milk from guaranteed herds and, above all, clean, tidy servants, dressed in spot’ess linen and success, I feel sure, would be attained. The local authorities have power to control and prescribe the conditions under which the sale of this article of diet alone can be conducted. The Department has in many cases urged upon local authorities, the necessity for constant and careful supervision of this most important article. The, department has offered to analyse any samples of milk they care to send us and by this means many complaints which are now with, more or less, justice urged against the condition of the milk as supplied in some of the large cities may be removed.

House Refuse. The common practice of burying house refuse in close proximity of dwelling houses is objected to. A destructor is the best means of destruction, and it is said to be only a matter for the near future when every town of importance will be required to establish such a factory. The other alternative is burying the house refuse. The plan of malting up land or reclaiming boggy city areas by means of house is one to be condemned. Only by a liberal mixture of good soil or daily burning of all will a nuisance bo avoided.

The building of houses over such made up ground ought not to be permitted, until several years have elapsed. Night Soil.

In sparsely populated districts where houses are far apart no better plan can be adopted than burying it in tire garden, and the proper way is to place it about feet beneath the surface. If there is one thing more important than another in the carrying out a system of collection of nightsoil, it is that the kerosene tin and the oil drums must give way to a properly constructed pan. These pans are emptied at the depot, cleansed, disinfected by steam and are ready for the next service, The contents of the pans may be taken either to the destructor where such exists or to the depot where it is spread upon the land and ploughed in daily.