8 June. 1908.] Tlic Melbourne Milk Supply. 325 



local or general health authorities. In Victoria, on the other hand, we are 

 so accustomed to the State taking an active part in the everv-dav life of 

 the community, that interference in all the directions indicated is recognised 

 as being quite within the functions of a public department. Accordingly, 

 we have made a commencement by obtaining systematic information on the 

 following points : — 



{a) Concerning Dairies. — (" Dairy " includes every business connected 

 with the storage or distribution of milk.) Situation and municipal dis- 

 trict ; daily distribution of milk ; districts in which the milk is distributed ; 

 farms from which the milk is obtained ; quantity supplied ; how delivered 

 to the dairy ; how retailed or distributed ; number of employes ; number of 

 customers ; milk storage ; sanitary condition of premises, utensils, &c. 



{h) Concerning Farms. — Situation and area; area cultivated; number 

 of employes ; number of cows ; daily milk yield ; disposal of produce ; food 

 supply ; acreage and variety of crops grown ; quantities, kind, and cost of 

 fodder purchased ; water supply ; milking methods ; storage of milk ; con- 

 dition and management of cows ; health of stock ; deaths of cows during 

 previous twelve months ; number of abortions and notifiable diseases in 

 cows; sanitarv conditions of premises, including cow-shed, drainage, 

 manure disposal, dain*- utensils, and machinery. 



A confidential report is also attached, showing the recommendations 

 made by the supervisor, and his remarks on the observations made during 

 the visits of inspection. The reports on subsequent visits show the extent 

 to which the recommendations have been carried out. 



One of the all-important qualifications for the position of supervisor is 

 tact. We wish him to get on such terms with the average farmer that his 

 visit is welcomed. Instead of making the inspectorial part of the duties to 

 be the onlv object of his visit, we wish the educational factor to be kept 

 prominently to the front. If possible, he is to become the friend and 

 adviser of the farmer. Hence the term " supervisor " was adopted, rather 

 than " inspector." As far as possible, three inspections of all farms are 

 carried out each year, but the administration of the Act is elastic enough 

 to enable us to treat each individual farmer on his merits. In order to keep 

 some men up to the mark it is necessary to pay frequent visits at short 

 intervals. The majority of farmers, however, show every desire to conform 

 with the requirements of the Act, and in several districts the supervisors are 

 sent for by the farmers for purposes of consultation, so that nearly the 

 whole of their time is occupied in attending to these calls. It will be seen, 

 therefore, that we have secured a body of men as supervisors who give 

 ample promise to realise in this respect the spirit in which the Act was 

 framed. 



The Work Accomplished since 1906. 



Three points have been kept before the supervisors as matters of primary 

 importance — to secure clean milk, to encourage better provision for feeding 

 the cows, and the elimination of disease from the udders of the cows. Each 

 of these requires separate consideration : — 



(i) Clean Milk. — This means practically the control of the number of 

 bacteria in the milk at the time it is delivered to the consumer. Leaving 

 for the moment the question of the micro-organisms of specific diseases, the 

 first great source of contamination is the little particles of cow-dung which 



