MILK COUNCIL

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 46, 24 February 1937, Page 18

MILK COUNCIL

Your impartial article in the editorial column of Saturday'* "Star" dealing with the -Milk Council awl its chairman, etc., is worthy of bringing betore all consumers in .the Milk Councils area. While no doubt few would deny the zeal exhibited by the chairman. I am sure a vvrv largo majority of consumers ooiisider" this zeal 'to be very much misplaced and it could certainly have been, used to greater advantage. I am sorry to note vou include the purity and | standard set by the council as a mm I controversial matter, for has not the I standard Wen set. too low. thus allow-j in<' vendor* and dairymen to reduce the orade of full standard or whole milk. I instead of inducing them to improve the (iualit v and purity, which can be easily affected both ways by the legal allowance of added water? It is not manv years since Auckland experienced a severe epidemic caused through impurity of the water supply. With the zoning system introduced there is no incentive for vendor* to s11j»J»1 \* milk of better grade; consumers, having no option, are compelled in many cases t<> accept a much lower standard than that which they had been used to. From all economic point. zoning is delinit cly wrong. It has created a monopoly for ii few and is rushing the business headlong into one large combine, thus displacing workers, reducing revenue for local bodies, garages and motor traders, as well a* the Government. who 10-e not only 10ld duty on every gallon of benzine saved by reduced mileage (and the council claims a saving of thousand of miles per annum), but also suffers loss of duty on motor cars, tyres and accessories, and in addition shipping and transport business is likewise affected. What would happen if ail businesses were controlled and zoned? Half the population would be added to the already enormous list of unemployed. As for municipalisation. well here would be required an enormous sum to purchase existing milk concern*, which would no doubt be bought out at a sum considerably greater than 20/ in the pound and lead to a replica of that great .'•white elephant." the Auckland Transport. Board, which already has a d»ficit of £131.000. What is required is a scheme similar to what the (lovernment has introduced to the bread bu-iness —price fixation districts in farmer-vendor

area* to pay a lower price than the eitv. on the same principle as the outlying suhurlian people pay more for tram transport than do people living in or nearer the city: a more rigid and regular insjiection of cow*. «heds. plant, utensils, etc.. together with grade te*tincr at the source of supply as well a.on the "round." Were this system intro dnced it would allow of the repeal of the Milk Council Act and its amendment® and the dwlmnding of the unnecessary and ridiculously expensive council and administrative officers, while the Government would earn the pleasure and congratulations of the consumerover the whole of the metropolitan area of Auckland. R. L. PRBSTOX.

RE GOVERNMENT. I — . I T think "Civi> will concede tlie point that there are thousands of people in New Zealand who <lo not receive mucli a« they should in such a bountiful country. When it is (suggested the 11 overn men t should create money the cry is raised that there i* plenty of money. If this is true and supporters of orthodox finance assure us it is--then, since so many have too little, it is ol>\ iou« many have more money than thev need. The only way to remedy this is by taxing th<*-c wlio have a surplus. With tlie graduated income tax the Government endeavours to apply tlie remedy. 1 take it this i» the taxation of which "Civis" complains; the poorer have been indirectly taxed up to tlie eyes for years past. Both the Prime Minister and tlie Minister of l inance have explained that one form of. taxation cannot be abandoned until J i-iomethinjr i'l-e takes its place, *o no: doubt the sales tax will be removed, when the new form of taxation, now, under consideration, comes into opera- | tion. Ak to the lowering of the foreign j cvhange. I really believe the Goverurneiit will have to hedge on th i<=. (Hut j this will not be new: the leaders of the j old Government subscribed to the doc- < trine that if a promise was found to lie contrary to the public pood it should be scrapped.) If the exchange is brought | to par with sterling I think it will be j found that the demand for overseas credit will exceed the supply. This will mean a dictator to apportion the available credit. 11l the pa«t this dictatorship was undertaken by private banks, but some people can see a dictator only when he bears a State label. Many people seem to think there is something derogatory in Socialism. What is Socialism but practical Christianity? PLAIN RILL