View report page

1909]
284
missal of the charge; for amidst such general denials it would be most difficult
for the magistrate to arrive at a conclusion. With this probability to face, I feel
certain that your solicitor would not advise a prosecution, and I certainly would
not. I am a strong believer in the honesty of the English farmer. He is
type of all that is best in the manhood of the country. Simple-minded to a
large degree when contrasted with the dwellers in our great towns; but slow
to move or to be taught. Were this not so, dairy farming in England would
not be in its present backward state, nor would they have allowed the
warranty clause in the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts to have remained on the
statutes.
It is, however, now doomed, and the North Eastern Dairy Company's
defence has given to the President of the Local Government Board his fullest
justification for the introduction of clause 7, which proposes to abolish
warranties, into his Milk and Dairies Bill.
2. The second lesson this case teaches is that the churns in which
separated milk is conveyed into the milk depots should be marked with some
distinguishing mark, so that the Inspectors may be able to at once recognise
them on their arrival at the railway stations. I am of opinion that the best
way to effect this is to paint the head of every milk churn on its outside surface
with a bright colour. I do not think a brass plate or similar device with
the words "separated milk" on it is sufficient, because it would be almost
impossible to "spot" such a churn among the hundreds of churns that are
packed on the milk platforms of the railway station after the arrival of the
milk trains; and they would, therefore, often escape notice, whereas a churn
with coloured head would be at once perceived. In this way the milk purveyors
who use separated milk would soon be discovered, and consequently
their milk would be closely watched, and frequently analysed.
The trial also brought to light that there are several milk purveyors receiving
separated milk in names other than their own; and yet these purveyors are not
known to be dealers in it. Certainly they do not sell it in the streets as separated
milk. Indeed, there can be no doubt that it is mixed with whole milk
and is sold as " milk with all its cream," to use a dairy phrase, to the public.
Under these circumstances I do not think that the proposal to mark the
churns is too drastic. Indeed, it is not drastic enough, and, therefore, I would
suggest that all dealers in separated milk should be specially registered for its sale,
and thai it should be sold f rom vessels specially marked and labelled.