§ MR. CLARE READasked the Vice President of the Council, If all farmers in the rural districts selling milk to their neighbours and labourers must be registered as purveyors of milk, and have their dairies and cow sheds inspected and regulated by the local authority under the provisions of the Dairies, Cow Houses, and Milk Shop Order of 1879?
§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONSir, the part of the Order requiring registration was intended to apply to persons whose principal trade is the keeping of cows for the purpose of selling milk, and was not intended to comprise farmers, who only sell milk to their neighbours and labourers as an incident to their general farming business. In framing an Order to give effect to the Act of Parliament, the use of general descriptions cannot be avoided which may seem to include classes of persons who ought not to be included; but, practically, every local authority has a discretion as to what classes of persons it will require to register themselves, and in giving effect to the Order local authorities will, no doubt, have regard to the circumstances of their respective districts. The Privy Council will soon have to revise and consolidate all the Orders made under the Act of last Session; and in so doing they will consider whether this provision for registration of dairymen may not be made more clear.