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Waiuku.—During the year a loan proposal of over £10,000 for providing a water-supply was approved by the ratepayers. The water is obtained from a bore, and provision is made for a pumping plant and reservoir and for reticulation. Supervision of the other supplies of the district has been exercised, and, when necessary, the attention of local authorities concerned has been drawn to the necessity for effecting improvements. Food and Dbugs. Due supervision has been exercised over the sale of food and drugs throughout the district during the year. Large numbers of samples of various foodstuffs and drugs have been obtained for examination, and generally considerable improvement is manifested in the conditions under which these are sold and in the quality of the goods themselves. Most of the breaches of the Food and Drugs Regulations which have occurred have been committed unwittingly, and warning notices issued to vendors have proved salutary. Considerable work has also been done in connection with the labelling of foodstuffs, and many cases of incorrect labelling were dealt with. A special matter dealt with during the year has been the purity of the milk supplied to the metropolitan area, and the following report is submitted, covering this work : — Much improvement has been made in the Auckland milk-supply of recent years, although no doubt there it still room for improvement. The farms are not under the jurisdiction of the Health Department, but the latter closely co-operates with the Department of Agriculture in endeavouring to assist in the matter of clean milk-production. Nevertheless, considerable improvement has been obtained in this direction. Apart from this, the question of cooling of milk directly it is drawn from the cow is a very important matter, and it is still found that milk arrives in the city at a temperature, in certain months of the year, as high as 75° F. The difficulty of obtaining water at sufficiently low temperature on the farms without the use of cooling plants for efficient cooling is recognized, but it is gratifying to know that special plants of the refrigidaire type have been installed on several farms, and this is to be encouraged. The temperature then obtained is as low as 49° F., and less, and the benefit of the use of such plants is reflected in the results of examination of milk from these farms. The question of efficient cooling at the farm is a real difficulty in this climate, and the cost of refrigerating plants is prohibitive for the majority of farmers. Those in charge of the milk-depots in the city are making endeavours to obtain clean milk for the city supply, and they are always notified by this Department of any milk arriving at their depot which is doubtful as to quality. Certain of these depots make inspections of the farms in question and assist in having any necessary action taken. On the other hand, certain depots pay the farmer according to the grading of the milk, and I am of opinion that this is the best method of obtaining the best milk for the city, as unless a farmer is paid for the extra trouble in turning out a good article he has but little incentive. In other cases he is either paid on the butterfat basis, or paid a regular price whether the milk is clean or dirty, rich or poor. About 1,200 samples was examined during the year by the Department from the city. In only three instances has it been necessary to take legal procedure against milk-vendors in the city for selling milk below the fat standard during the year, but it has been found that approximately 3 per cent, of samples taken of milk being forwarded from the farms to milk-depots in the city were deficient in fat content. However, when such milk is bulked at the depot the average fat content has complied with the standard required. The deficiency in the fat has been due principally to the class of cattle preferred by farmers, which give quantity of milk, but quality with too narrow a margin of milk-fat at special times of the year, when with the springing of the grass and other natural causes the fat content is liable to be reduced slightly below the standard. This is liable to occur during September, October, and November. This matter was fully discussed with those interested about two years ago, and the position has improved, and, to my mind, is not difficult of solution. The standard required is not too high. The percentage of samples below standard varies in different years, and in 1925 was as high as 6-5 per cent, as regards samples of farmers' milk before being bulked at the depots. The reductase test showed that 2-5 per cent, of samples did not comply with the regulations, as against 3-9 per cent, in 1926. This test shows the freshness and keeping-quality of milk, and is a guide as to cleanliness of milk. As regards the addition of water, this is now a very rare occurrence in the city. The results at the pasteurizing plants show improvement, but in a certain number of instances the coli content remains too high. This is not so much due to inefficient pasteurization as to the quality of the milk to be pasteurized. During the collection of milk from some farms milk-cans have been left at the corners of main roads or on platforms from which motor-lorries collect the cans, and the latter have been unduly exposed to the sun and dust. In the same way milk-cans on being returned by lorries to the farms have been deposited at corners of roads, to be later removed by farmers. These cans have been washed and sterilized in the city before being returned, and are liable to injurious effects due to dust and the heat of the sun. This matter has been brought before the parties responsible and improvements have been made in this respect. I maintain that the first essential is clean milk-production and efficient cooling at the farms, whether the milk is to be later pasteurized or not. In the past farmers have been apt to regard it as a waste of time to take any special care in milk-production, owing to the fact that the milk was being forwarded to a pasteurizing-depot and that it would be cleaned up there. Storage of milk in dairies in the city has been considerably improved, and such premises are registered by the City Council and other local authorities, and unless conditions are satisfactory a license is not issued. A great number of such premises store their milk in coolers.