Hold em for another minute, Bill-an well have plenty of milk in our tea. (Observer, 17 July 1915). Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/27583183 It is common knowledge that milk is sometimes diluted with water and sold as fresh milk, or merely as milk. It is equally true that a great deal of ink is shed over milk, and much of the comment on the subject in the lay press is beside the question, and a waste of ink. Milk is not an antiseptic, and to point out that occasionally in the pantry it is sour and odorous is merely to state that the objectionable fluid is milk and not corrosive sublimate solution. Even in a perfect dairy in the country milk is a good culture medium, and the most conscientious dairymaid occasionally has sour milk in hot weather. It is important to know why milk becomes prematurely tainted. It may be the Government that is to blame, or the weather, or the city council, the health department, the farmer, the milkman, the landlord, or the cook, or the cow. It is of the utmost importance that milk should be as clean and fresh as possible.In Wellington at the present time there is a great controversy over milk and many people have various plans for making perfect milk and perfect milkmen. The Wellington Hospital Board proposes to buy a milk farm at a cost of \u00a39,000. The cost of maintenance is unknown, and we should like to know if the farm is expected to produce all the milk required for the hospital. If the Hospital Board controls the farm we feel certain that it will be dear milk and we shall defer judgment as to whether the quality of the milk depends solely upon the ownership of the farm. The responsibility of buying this farm at the price, and at the present time, has been thrown by the Minister upon the contributing local bodies. It is very difficult in a democracy to fix any responsibility upon an individual. A large number of critics say that the health department ought to control the purity of the milk supply, and an equally large number of reformers hold that the city council should establish a receiving station for milk.We have taken pains to acquire authoritative information on the subject, and will venture to suggest some remedies. In the first place, Wellington has as good a milk supply as Christchurch or Wanganui. We suffer from the usual amount of misgovernment. The Government will not allow milk to be carried on what are called mail trains. Milk, being a perishable commodity, is carried on slow trains, or, to be more accurate, very slow trains. If he dairy farmer is compelled to cool his milk to 60 degrees, but as a matter of fact the milk is usually cooled to 55 degrees. The temperature as regards milk is all important. When the Government railways take charge of the milk the trouble begins. The temperature of the railway vans is commonly 70 degrees, and sometimes 80 degrees. A temperature of 80 degrees is easily attainable by allowing a van to stand on a siding throughout a summer day. The door of the van is kept shut while it is waiting to receive the farmers evening supply. In some more enlightened countries cool railway storage for milk is provided. Very few farmers indeed adulterate milk, so that a receiving station in the city for testing is not very necessary, but probably a step in the right direction. Dairy herds should be frequently and strictly inspected. There are not a few milkmen, however, who tamper with the milk. They are usually fined \u00a32, and this is no deterrent. We propose fine of \u00a325 and costs for the first offence, and cancellation of the license for a second and Iast offence. This is done with the publican, and we assume that milk is a more important liquid than beer. The Health Department inspects the milk in the possession of milkmen. If the Department has no more power given it by legislation than it has in relation to quack medicines, we do not blame the Department.Milk should be sold in bottles, but unless this is made compulsory, bottle milk will never successfully compete against the can system on the ground of increased expense. As regards milkmen being clad in white as, a symbol of purity, we do not stress the point; black is more in keeping with the seriousness of their vocation, red would warn the public of danger, and green suggest caution. Here are a few reforms to make a beginning. We trust that we have shown that the milk problem is largely a result of misgovernment Of the people, for the people, and by the people. Our Parliament is no better than a big city council and ought to be able to set up a cow committee to settle the milk question. NZMJ April 1915; 102-104

Hold em for another minute, Bill-an well have plenty of milk in our tea. (Observer, 17 July 1915). Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/27583183 It is common knowledge that milk is sometimes diluted with water and sold as fresh milk, or merely as milk. It is equally true that a great deal of ink is shed over milk, and much of the comment on the subject in the lay press is beside the question, and a waste of ink. Milk is not an antiseptic, and to point out that occasionally in the pantry it is sour and odorous is merely to state that the objectionable fluid is milk and not corrosive sublimate solution. Even in a perfect dairy in the country milk is a good culture medium, and the most conscientious dairymaid occasionally has sour milk in hot weather. It is important to know why milk becomes prematurely tainted. It may be the Government that is to blame, or the weather, or the city council, the health department, the farmer, the milkman, the landlord, or the cook, or the cow. It is of the utmost importance that milk should be as clean and fresh as possible.In Wellington at the present time there is a great controversy over milk and many people have various plans for making perfect milk and perfect milkmen. The Wellington Hospital Board proposes to buy a milk farm at a cost of \u00a39,000. The cost of maintenance is unknown, and we should like to know if the farm is expected to produce all the milk required for the hospital. If the Hospital Board controls the farm we feel certain that it will be dear milk and we shall defer judgment as to whether the quality of the milk depends solely upon the ownership of the farm. The responsibility of buying this farm at the price, and at the present time, has been thrown by the Minister upon the contributing local bodies. It is very difficult in a democracy to fix any responsibility upon an individual. A large number of critics say that the health department ought to control the purity of the milk supply, and an equally large number of reformers hold that the city council should establish a receiving station for milk.We have taken pains to acquire authoritative information on the subject, and will venture to suggest some remedies. In the first place, Wellington has as good a milk supply as Christchurch or Wanganui. We suffer from the usual amount of misgovernment. The Government will not allow milk to be carried on what are called mail trains. Milk, being a perishable commodity, is carried on slow trains, or, to be more accurate, very slow trains. If he dairy farmer is compelled to cool his milk to 60 degrees, but as a matter of fact the milk is usually cooled to 55 degrees. The temperature as regards milk is all important. When the Government railways take charge of the milk the trouble begins. The temperature of the railway vans is commonly 70 degrees, and sometimes 80 degrees. A temperature of 80 degrees is easily attainable by allowing a van to stand on a siding throughout a summer day. The door of the van is kept shut while it is waiting to receive the farmers evening supply. In some more enlightened countries cool railway storage for milk is provided. Very few farmers indeed adulterate milk, so that a receiving station in the city for testing is not very necessary, but probably a step in the right direction. Dairy herds should be frequently and strictly inspected. There are not a few milkmen, however, who tamper with the milk. They are usually fined \u00a32, and this is no deterrent. We propose fine of \u00a325 and costs for the first offence, and cancellation of the license for a second and Iast offence. This is done with the publican, and we assume that milk is a more important liquid than beer. The Health Department inspects the milk in the possession of milkmen. If the Department has no more power given it by legislation than it has in relation to quack medicines, we do not blame the Department.Milk should be sold in bottles, but unless this is made compulsory, bottle milk will never successfully compete against the can system on the ground of increased expense. As regards milkmen being clad in white as, a symbol of purity, we do not stress the point; black is more in keeping with the seriousness of their vocation, red would warn the public of danger, and green suggest caution. Here are a few reforms to make a beginning. We trust that we have shown that the milk problem is largely a result of misgovernment Of the people, for the people, and by the people. Our Parliament is no better than a big city council and ought to be able to set up a cow committee to settle the milk question. NZMJ April 1915; 102-104