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24 Sanitary Circumstances of the District.
MILK SUPPLY.
In this district there are no cow-sheds, all of the milk supplied
is imported, mainly from large wholesale firms. Most of the
purveyors of milk have lock-up premises, and receive only
sufficient quantity of milk from the wholesale firms as will, as
nearly as possible, serve for one day's supply. It is supplied by
delivery vans to these retailers twice daily as a rule, so that
extensive storage accommodation does not exist in any of those
premises.
These retailers, together with others from without this district,
supply milk from hand-carts. It is certainly a fact that the
measures and cans carried about on these carts, especially the
" stirrers " carried on the wholesalers' vehicles, are liable to a great
deal of pollution through dust, etc. The risk of pollution in this
respect would be diminished to an extent if means were taken to
protect these utensils from dust.
There are several premises registered as milk-shops in which
the trade of milk-purveyor is a subsidary branch, such associated
businesses as those of grocer, oilman, coal vendor being carried
on with that of purveyor of milk.
The supply of milk is kept in a counter pan of varying
capacity, and in such premises as these there is no proper storage
accommodation, the purveyor alleging that there is only sufficient
milk left over from each delivery to supply casual customers.
This statement is open to question, as it is difficult to understand
how the demand can be so accurately foretold that no
milk would be left exposed over-night, and in any case the exposure
of the small quantity for casual requirements during the day in
such premises is liable to contamination from a multitude of
sources,