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54
Milk Supply.
Each year a smaller proportion of the milk purveyed in
Finchley is produced locally, and the actual number of dairy
cows kept in the District appears to be diminishing. Towards
the latter end of the year, the number was 177, as compared
with 227 in the previous year, and I have no reason to doubt
that considerably more than half the milk consumed is
brought in by rail.
Many improvements have been effected in the condition
of the local cowsheds and dairy premises, but the trade is one
requiring the constant supervision of both dairy managers
and sanitary officials. Absolutely cleanly work on the part
of the milkers and other employees is not easy to enforce, and
there is an unfortunately prevalent idea amongst some dealers
that milk from which all coarse particles of dirt have been
filtered is just as wholesome and unobjectionable as milk which
has been obtained under clean conditions. The fallacy of this
is evident from the fact that during hot weather pure milk
will keep good for many more hours than milk carelessly
handled, even though the former has not been treated with
preservatives.
I fully recognise the difficulties involved in further amending
the conditions nnder which milk is collected and distributed, and
the likelihood that the stringent enforcement of precautionary
measures may lead to an increase in the retail price, but the
matter is of such importance that the additional cost must, if
necessary, be incurred. The veterinary inspection required by
most of the large dairy companies has already lead to marked
improvement in many rural as well as urban districts, still,
constant personal supervison by the dairy farmers must
remain the only certain method of ensuring satisfactory conditions,
without their active co-operation there must always be
a probability that due precautions will not be exercised.