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28
MILK SUPPLY.
The control of the milk traffic within this area
has received a very great deal of attention during the
past year. The production of milk within the district
is safeguarded in every way. An examination of all
cows is made by the Council's Veterinary Surgeon, and
in instances where the condition of any cow raises a
feeling of doubt as to the desirability of her milk being
used for human consumption, bacteriological examination
of the milk is at once made, and, pending such examination,
the milk has always been voluntarily withdrawn
from consumption. An anomalous condition of affairs
exist in the parish of Mitcham, Avhere the parish boundary
is coterminous with the County of London. In the
County of London the various Sanitary Authorities have
the right to either refuse to register a milk vendor or to
remove such vendor's name from the Register, if a good
and sufficient reason exists, but this power is nullified
by the want of similar powers outside the London County
boundary. It is possible, and it has occurred in many
instances, for a man who has been considered unfit to
be registered as a milk vendor by the Borough of
Wandsworth to move into the parish of Mitcham (in one
instance only the small distance of 75 yards), and there
he gains access to the Register on his making application
to be registered. Now this application for registration
must be complied with so long as the man is carrying
on a business as a dairyman, or cowkeeper, or purveyor
of milk, regardless of the fact that the applicant may
have been convicted for offences under the Sale of Food
and Drugs Acts with respect to the quality of his milk.