302 FRAUDULENT COMPETITION 



From 1907 onwards there has been much confusion in 

 the minds of many people when the need for milk legislation 

 has been under discussion. There is first this question of 

 the " Sale of Milk Regulations," dealing with the quality of the 

 milk sold, and cases in this connection are sometimes dealt 

 with under the Sale of Milk Regulations and sometimes under 

 the Sale of Food and Drugs Acts. The second point is the 

 question of diseased or dirty milk. This has been regulated 

 hitherto by the insertion of clauses in private Acts or by the 

 Infectious Diseases Act of 1890, and it is in this connection 

 that the Government have been urged for so many years to 

 pass a public general Act controlling the production and 

 distribution of milk. This second point has already been 

 touched upon in the chapter on " Cattle Diseases,"* and the 

 final episode is dealt with in the next paragraph. The first 

 point will remain practically untouched by the Milk and 

 Dairies Act, 1914, and will require separate legislation. 



The Milk Bill referred to on page 69 did not get a second 

 reading, as Mr. Burns could not see his way to accept the 

 amendments suggested by the Council, and the Government 

 could not find time for an opposed measure. The same 

 Minister introduced a fresh measure in March, 1913, however, 

 which did embody practically all that the Chambers asked 

 for, except the somewhat vital point which provided for 

 regulations under the Act becoming operative under the 

 Rules Publication Act, whereas the Chambers insisted upon 

 them being laid upon the table in both Houses of Parliament 

 for a stated period. Neither party would give way, and 

 consequently this Bill also failed to make any progress. 



Early in 1914 Mr. Samuel succeeded Mr. Burns as President 

 of the Local Government Board. Recognising that the only 

 chance of a measure becoming law in the then state of business 

 in the House of Commons was the introduction of a practi- 

 cally agreed Bill, Mr. Samuel conferred previously with 

 representatives of the various interests concerned, and as 

 far as possible met the reasonable objections of all parties. 



* Pp. 63, 69, 70. 



