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44
when such milk is sold. "Certified" milk is the highest
grade, but "Grade A" (Tuberculin Tested) milk is likely
to be much safer than "Grade A," and is considerably less
in price than " Certified."
In the case of Certified and Grade A (T.T.) milks, the
herds are subjected to the Tubercuhn test periodically, but
tne standard of the milks is judged mainly by the number
ot bacteria per cubic centimeter ot milk, this method certainly
shows whether or not the milk is clean, but it does
not distinguish between the bacteria which actually cause
disease and those which do not. Whilst one feels bound to
advocate the purchase of designated milks rather than
ordinary milk (at least for children), yet there is no guarantee
that any 01 the special designated milks will actually be
free from tuoercle or other ot the pathogenic or diseasecausing
bacteria, any more than ordinary milk is. Apart from
this latter point, the undoubted confusion in the public mind
would appear to justify the amendment of the Milk Orders
so that the value of each class of milk may be more easily
understood and recognised.
The retailing of milk is receiving very careful consideration
by those engaged in the business, and there is
little doubt that further progress will be made. Owing to
the high cost of bottles, the frequent breakages, and the
lack of care bestowed on them by many people (some of
whom never rinse the milk bottles out, but who leave them
for several days before returning them, still dirty, to the
dairy), one may expect to see further progress in the direction
of non-returnable receptacles. Until this ideal is
reached, however, an improved design in the bottles would
be welcome so that the pasteboard disc and the ledge on
which it rests inside the neck of the bottle could be
eliminated.
(b)—MEAT AND OTHER FOODS.
There was a slight increase in the number of animals
slaughtered in the Borough last year compared with the
year 1929. The increase was very small (117) and tends to
prove that the opinion expressed in my last report, namely,
that the peak has been reached is a correct one. The
following figures show the total number of animals killed