MORNING NOISE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 22, 27 January 1937, Page 20

MORNING NOISE.

SYDNEY COMPLAINT. MILK DELIVERY PROBLEM. WELLINGTON SYSTEM QUOTED (From Our own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, January 20. Recently there have been complaints in the correspondence columns of the '•Sydney Morning Herald" about the noise that milkmen make on" their morning rounds. In some districts, it is said, light sleepers as well as the aged and the pick, arc awakened by the milkmen in the early hours of the morning and are unable to sleep again. The manager of one of the largest retailing firms in Sydney remarked: "We are doing all we can to stop avoidable noise in our milk delivery, especially in the early morning. On the whole, we receive very few complaints. We have an outside inspector, whose duty it is to inquire into cases of excessive noise. Recently a complaint was received from residents near one large depot, of the noise made by the boys who help the milkmen, and who are allowed inside the premises. A talk by the inspector soon stopped the trouble. All our milkmen are instructed to do their work with as little noise as possible."

Similar methods are adopted by another large company of distributors, the manager of which has said: "In the last 2."> years I only recall one complaint. Immediate steps were taken to reduce the noise, and the man who had made the complaint became our customer."'

410,000 Gallons Every Morning. Officials at the Milk Board emphasised t lie immensity of the task of delivering the morning milk to every home in Sydney and suburbs. Nearly 1900 carters, with 000 assistants, it was stated, were engaged on the work every morning, between 4 o'clock and 7.30. They delivered 410.000 gallons every morning, and 130.000 gallons at the afternoon delivery. In recent years much had been done to prevent unnecessary noise. Formerly huge bulk lorries on solid tyres were used, and the clatter they made on the poor roads of those days was enough to wake everyone in the locality. Now. modern rubber-tyred vehicles were used for the bulk supplies, and on present roads the retail milkman's car travelled very quietly.

Tt was admitted that in some compact cities, like Wellington (N'ew Zealand), which had a cold climate, morning milk deliveries had been abolished. A description of the block system of milk delivery there was given at the recent milk inquiry in Sydney. It was pointed out that in Wellington the city was "blocked," each area being reserved for one delivery man. who. supplying every house in the district allotted' to him. was able to deliver a much greater quantity of milk daily than could com-' petitive milkmen, such as tho*e of Sydney. The inevitable result of the competitive system was thit there were sometimes several -nilkmrn delivering <o their respective customers in the «ome street at the same hour. It was pointed out to the Milk Inquiry, however, that the saving in the adoption of the Wellington system would not be as substantial as at tirst appeared, as the community would have to «et off against the econcmu'es the cost r 'f the additional unemployment that would be created.

From the point of view of early morning noise, it was pointed out that, ercn if the block deliverv system were adopted in Sydney, there would have to be a morning delivery. In the colder climate of Wellington there was only one delivery a day. and it was carried out between .1 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Milkmen, it is stated, are regularly warned not to talk tog-tber. k»ud!y. while on their rounds. The milk delivery companies ask residents, if they should be awakened by such noise, to complain immediately.