MILK PRICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 145, 21 June 1934, Page 3

MILK PRICES.

PUBLIC PROTEST.

MEETING AT TOWN HALL. REPEAL OF ACT URGED. Resolutions requesting the Auckland Milk Council to restore the price of milk to that ruling prior to the setting up of the council, also to appeal to the Supreme Court for the purpose of testing the validity of the Milk Council were carried at a public meeting at the Town Hall last evening. The Concert Chamber, including the. gallery, was packed, and a number oi people were standing at the back, the attendance being in the vicinity of 1000. Miss E. Melville, the chairman, traversed the history of the setting up and decisions of the Milk Council, and referred also to the meeting of protest against the increase in the price of milk held in Scots Hall recently, when a resolution was carried to hold a public meeting at the Town Hall. The organisations represented on the platform were the National Council of Women, Social Workers' Association, PrimarySchools' Committees' Association, Chamber of Commerce,' Victoria League, Society for the Protection of Women and Children, Community Sunshine Association, Suburban Local Bodies' Association, Unemployed Relief Workers' Union, Unemployed Workers' Association.

Miss Melville said that the question of milk prices was one that concerned' the whole community. It had been given out that the Milk Council was set up to assist fanners who were in financial straits, but unfortunately financial hardship was not confined to any one section of the community. It was a dangerous thing to set up a board to protect any one section. If such practice were to be continued the Town Hall would not hold the boards.

Mrs. H. Ivasper, president of the Auckland branch of the National Council of Women, moved: — "In view of the fact that there was no public demand for the setting up of a Milk Council for Auckland metropolitan area, providing for artificial control of milk prices, representations be made to the Government by way of public petition for the repeal of the Act." Mrs. Kaspar said there were 46 women's organisations associated with the National Council of Women, and they represented a total of 15,000 women. "Indecent Haste." In seconding the resolution, Archdeacon Holbrook scathingly criticised the Government for putting the Milk Bill through with "indecent haste," even the Standing Orders being suspended to allow it to be done. Seventeen publicbodies, representing 100,000 milk consumers, voiced their protest, but to no avail. It was only fair to the Mayor of Auckland to say that he had nothing whatever to do with the promotion of the bill. "I tell you this Act is class legislation of the worst form. I want you before you leave this hall to take your pen and kill two birds with one stone —one for the repeal of the Act and the other demanding that there shall be a general election this year." (Applause.)

Mr. I. Goldstine, chairman of the Suburban Local Bodies' Association, criticised the action of the City Council, which body, he contended, was responsible for the Act. Had the council protested, it wotild never have gone through.

The resolution was carried on the voices.

A motion to test the validity of the Milk Council, moved by Miss Melville and seconded by Mr. L. Falkner, -was also carried.