Official’s Scathing Report

Complaints that the Greenvale Sanatorium does not comply with the health requirements are contained in a report prepared by a veterinary officer of the Department of Agriculture (Mr. W. D. Shew).

He states that, from the point of view of sanitation, the milking-shed and cooling room are entirely unsatisfactory, there being’ an open drain carrying all the filth post the door of the cooling-room.

On the day that he made his inspection the whole place was a mass of flies thousands of them floating on the milk as it ran through the strainer.

No water was available for cooling the milk, and the cooler, apparently, had not been used for months. As the cooling-room was not lined the task of keeping it clean was practically impossible, even if it had ever been seriously attempted.

The walls and roof were filthy from the presence of flies, and neither ballroom not the milking-shed had been lime-washed.

In the milking-shed bricks were loose and displaced, thus providing lodging places for filth and disease. Drains were in a disgraceful condition.

When the sanatorium was short of milk, supplies were obtained from an unlicensed farm.

A protest was expressed on Saturday by the, chairman of the Public Health Commission (Dr. E. Robertson) against what he termed the “exaggerated and unjustified report by Mr. Shew.

The sanatorium, which was under the control of the permanent head of the Public Health department, had been established in 1905 for the treatment of incipient cases of tuberculosis.

Ten years ago Greenvale was considered unsuitable for sanatorium purposes, and the Ministry had decided to abandon it and to establish a new site.

The war, however, delayed the project, and the finances had since been too uncertain to build.

In those circumstances no expenditure, except that which was absolutely essential, had been incurred.

In 1920 the Department of Agriculture had been requested to inspect and advise in regard to farm work a farm manager being suggested.

Owing to financial reasons and the uncertainty of the tenure, the Minister at that time did not consider it expedient to adopt the advice, which involved considerable expenditure for staff and plant.

In the meantime the farm work had been carried on under the supervision of the secretary of the department, who was unable to attend frequently.

When Mr. shew visited the institution, continued Dr. Roberson, the milk cooling room had been out of action for some time.

Pending the arrival of a new cooler the milk was sent direct to the sanatorium dairy and then scalded.

Although the conditions were not as good as the commission would like they were not insanitary, and inspection was invited at any time.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/1901873