SUPPLY OF MILK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 91, 17 April 1936, Page 8

SUPPLY OF MILK.

FURTHER PROTEST.

ATTACK ON THE COUNCIL

MEETING AT AVONDALE

An emphatic protest against the provisions of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Amendment Act which enable the Milk Council to dispose of consumers' custom to any milk vendors it might select was voiced in a resolution which was carried at a meeting in the Oddfellows' Hall, Avondale, last evening Two other resolutions were carried urging the repeal of the Act and its amendments and demanding the Government to remove immediately the Act from the statutes.

Mr. A. Whowell presided over an attendance of upwards of 100 residents. The first speaker, Mr. R. H. Brown, drew attention to the present-day trend towards economic centralisation, and declared that as a, result of a policy along these lines three or four large milk companies were gaining control of the milk industry in Auckland. As a result of the Milk Council revoking or restricting vendors' licenses he contended that the distribution of customers was all in favour of the large vendors. If they did not protest today and fight against further encroachment of their rights they would find to-morrow that the same thing would happen, with their bread, meat and groceries. The Milk Council and the various hoards that were being set up in the Dominion, argued the speaker, were definitely tending towards Fascist control. The chairman of the Milk Council stated that a consumer could change his vendor by ringing the council in the matter, but he challenged that statement.

Point Chevalier Case. To show that the consumers were not free to choose their vendors, he read a letter received by a Point Chevalier consumer from the council. This man had advised the council that he did not wish to take milk from a certain vendor, and he received a reply to the effect that the vendor's milk had been tested and found to be of excellent quality. If a protest had been made when the change was being effected, it was explained, the matter could have been adjusted, but it now presented difficulties. Unless an amicable arrangement could be reached between the two vendors affected the council stated, the position must stand. In conclusion, Mr. Brown said that the Milk Amendment Act as it stood at present not only affected the interests of the small vendor and producer, but it had definitely taken away the freedom formerly enjoyed by the consumer of selecting his own milk. , Mr. S. McKay, president of the Western Suburb Workers' Union, urged that before deciding to support anythrng that the Milk Council might do they should, consider the cost. The consumers had no power or control over the council, but should the further amendments to the Act asked for be granted it would have the right to raise a loan and put a levy on the milk in order to pay for the loan. Mr. G. Day, secretary of the Western Suburb Workers' Union, referred to tlia handicap that the small vendors were up against owing to lack of capital. They could not afford to purchase rounds, Witt the result that 75 per cent of the custom was going to the large vendors. The result was that the council's policy was tending to create a monopoly.

Support for the Movement. Mr. T. Stanley said it was hoped to extend the protest movement throughout the Milk Council's district. Already support for the movement had been received from a large body of consumers, producers and vendors. The policy of the council was not in the best interests of the community, and he added: "Councils and even Governments have been smashed in the past, ana we are going to smash the Milk Act." Kationalisa-. tion was no good under the present system of capitalism. Only when the workers seized power for themselves would rationalisation be any good. It was claimed that the council was set up to eliminate overlapping, but it was itself duplicating the testing of milk. For instance, the public was already safeguarded by the tests of i foodstuffs taken by the Health Department, and yet the council had embarked on making tests of the milk. "I am a lover of f ree " dom, and I am a consumer of milk, and I want the liberty to purchase my milk where I like," said Mr. Stanley. In conand copies of resolutions passed at rneetclusion, he said that already protests ings had been forwarded to the Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J. Savage, and members of Parliament.

Several members of the audience also registered their protests against _ the actions of the council. One man claimed that vendors were morally bound to refuse to supply information to the council as to whether customers paid their accounts daily, weekly or monthly.

Asked if the speakers had any plan for replacing the Milk Council, Mr. Brown said that if they achieved the abolition of the council they would have done something constructive.

At the conclusion of the meeting a committee was set up to further tho campaign for the repeal of the Milk Act in the Avondale district.