WELLINGTON COMMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 169, 18 July 1924, Page 9

WELLINGTON COMMENT.

TRADE AND UNEMPLOYMENT. MILK AND TRAFFIC CONTROL. (By Telegraph.—Special lo " Star.") WELLISGTOX, Wednesday. The cry of the unemployed has not been heard in Wellington, but that is no reason for assuming that the unemployment problem does not exist. We have our unemplo3'ed, but the number is not large enough to cause an impression, or to necessitate special measures, as appears to be the case in Dunedin. More public works are being undertaken in and around the district, the City Council being particularly active just now. The debt of the city i 3 beginning to impress the ratepayers more, especially as the rates are in creasing. The trading conditions in the city are not very brilliant, and business is what the retailers would call quiet; but this quietness is not confined to Wellington, but apparently covers the whole of New Zealand. At least, that appears to be the case, judging from the quarterly banking averages recently published. According to some authorities, the fact that the current account balances have not expanded in twelve months is an indication of dullness in trade, and that the note circulation has contracted is tAke'l as evidence that the people lack tMo spending power. Whether this is tin' correct view of the situation it is Inn l to say, but when one remembers that the country is importing on an average 50 motor vehicles per day, it does not seem right to suggest that spending has slackened. Wellington's Milk Problem. The question of Wellington's milk supply has been a burning one ever since the City Council secured the monopoly of supplying the people with milk. The council's" first grip on the milk-vending business was obtained under the war regulations of 1918. The council grouped the vendors into four blocks, and issued a license for eacli group to vend milk in an allotted block. The council fixed the retail price and allowed the vendors a halfpenny per quart as compensation for their loss of goodwill. Subsequently the council secured legislative authority to itself to do the vending. Parliament, however, reserved the right to the small farmers, or nearby farmers as they are termed, to continue supplying the citizens with milk, but such vendors were restricted to distributing 30 gallons a day each. The City Council holds a practical monopoly of the milk business. The council officers made elaborate plans, laid down pasteurisng plant, procured glass bottles in which to deliver the milk, had built a fleet of milk-floats, and spent money freely, and it is to be feared, extravagantly. The city authorities, in seeking this monopoly, failed to recognise that they were placing themselves at the mercy of the EUppliers. The latter soon formed an association and thus placed themselves in a position to dictate the prices the council should pay for its milk. To make a long story short, the people are now paying Sid per quart for their milk, cash at the door, while the highest price paid for milk prior to the City Council's monopoly -was "d per quart with at least a week's credit. Sow it*must be said that the council's milk is good and pure, but many people do not like it, and sick persons avoid it. The public hospital is not served with the city's milk. Many more people would take the fresh milk from the nearby farmers if they could get it, and the latter are now endeavouring to have the council's monopoly amended so as to allow the nearby farmers to vend as much milk as they can secure, and in this they have the support of hundreds who prefer fresh milk to pasteurised milk. In any event, a monopoly, whether the privilege of a local body or a private company, is a menace to the people, and should not be tolerated. The Wellington City Council's milk business furnishes an awful example to other councils and boroughs. Traffic Control. Traffic control in the city of Wellington has been a fearful and wonderful thing. It has been control in name only, and almost at any hour of the day in any street, violations of the ordinary rules of traffic may be witnessed. It is not an uncommon thing to see motor cars turning: round in a. narrow thoroughfare like Willis Street during the busy hours of the day. Rounding corners, recklessly rushing past standing tramcars and speeding tw overtake and pass other cars are common occurrences in busy streets, while in suburban thoroughfares speeding is the rule and dazzling lights are much too frequently exhibited. The City Council is trying to improve matters and has "entered into new arrangements with the Police Department, and an experienced man is to be appointed to patrol the streets at uncertain hours. A very great deal more than this is needed", but the citizens are likely to be grateful even for this small measure of protection. What is needed now is legislation making the punishment for breaches of the traffic regulations a little more severe than it is. A magistrate should have the power to suspend or cancel a motorist's license.