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43
It may be objected that all these precautions are unnecessary, and that if
they were carried out they would entail so much expense that the price to the
consumer would have to be greatly increased to recoup the farmer. Even if
this were true, it would certainly be worth the additional outlay ; but as a
matter of fact these precautions are already observed by some of the large
Dairy Companies, who nevertheless are able to compete with the trade
generally.
It is, however, quite possible that from lack of enterprise and capital the
supply of milk to large centres might by such action be taken from small
farmers and pass into the hands of large companies and firms—nor is this a
result altogether to be objected to on public health grounds. There is ample
scope for such small farmers in the supply of milk in their own districts,
where questions of transport and storage are not of the same value.
Whatever precautions, however, are taken, accidents from time to time are
likely to occur, as it would seem to be impossible to altogether prevent the
possibility of infection at some stage.
As the contamination is nearly always at the farm, it is here that any
measures by the Authorities to safeguard the public health must be taken.
Action by the Local Authority to which the milk is supplied can obviously
never be effective nor sufficient.
The power given under the Public Health Act (Section 71) to any Local
Authority to deal with milk is limited to its own district:—
"71.—(1.) If the Medical Officer of Heatlh of any district has evidence
"that any person in the district is suffering from a dangerous infectious
"disease attributable to milk supplied within the district from any dairy
"situate within or without the district, or that the consumption of milk
"from such dairy is likely to cause any such infectious disease to any person
"residing within the district, such Medical Officer shall, if authorised by
"an Order of a Justice having jurisdiction in the place where the dairy
"is situate, have power to inspect the dairy, and if accompanied by a
"veterinary inspector, or some other properly qualified veterinary surgeon,
"to inspect the animals therein ; and, if on such inspection the Medical
"Officer of Health is opinion that any such infectious disease is caused
"from the consumption of the milk supplied therefrom, he shall report
"thereon to the Sanitary Authority, and his report shall be accompanied
"by any report furnished to him by the said veterinary inspector or
"veterinary surgeon, and the Sanitary Authority may thereupon serve
"on the dairyman notice to appear before them within such time, not less
"than twenty-four hours, as may be specified in the notice, to show
"cause why an Order should not be made requiring him not to supply
"any milk therefrom within the district until the Order has been with"
drawn by the Sanitary Authority.