NEW MILK PRICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 84, 10 April 1937, Page 22

NEW MILK PRICES.

ATTITUDE OF PRODUCERS. FARMERS WHO WALKED OUT. The revised milk and cream prices decided upon yesterday by the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council will operate from May 1 to Augu&t 31. The public are only affected by the cream rates, which will be as follow: Quarterpint fld, half-pint lid, pint 1/8. No further developments have followed the meeting of producers which discussed yesterday afternoon the increases agreed upon by the council. The next step will be to put into effect the resolutions which' the farmers parsed after deciding that no direct action should be taken until such time as all constitutional means had been exhausted. The council decided to increase the price of town milk at the farm gate from 9}d to lid a gallon from May to August, but the demands of the producers were that, to cover the increased cost of production, the price should be raised to 1/ during these months, and that it should be lOd a gallon for the following seven months. The producers decided to express the opinion that they were absolutely dissatisfied with the price that was fixed, and to make every endeavour to have It brought up to the figure which they submitted. Suggested methods of achieving this were approved as follow: (1) That a deputation should wait on the Milk Council for further negotiations; (2) That failing a satisfactory price being thus secured an appeal should be lodged with the Government and that the council should be asked to facilitate its hearing; and (3) That if the price awarded by the Government was not sufficient to cover cost of production. a further meeting of all suppliers should be called to consider what action would be necessary. The walking out of a number of farmers during the meeting was referred to this morning by Mr. P. G. Wyman, chairman of the East Tamaki Producers' Group, who led members of this body, and others, from the hall. Earlier In the meeting a motion by the chairman, Mr. L. Jones, that no direct action should be taken in the meantime, was defeated on a show of hands. It was decided to appoint scrutineers to count the hands, but a suggestion was made that the subject should be reopened for discussion, and the chairman ruled that this might be done. There was some dissent, and when the motion was put again later about. 20 farmer* walked out. They included Mr. ,J. Littlejnhn, president of the North Shore Producers' Association. "We left because the meeting was unconstitutional," declared Mr. Wyman. "The motion was defeated by a show of hands, and it was then unconstitutionally ruled that it should be put again. You can't do a thing like that at a meeting. a«d that Is whr we retired. Whatever decision they finallr came to yesterdav we take "no hand in." Asked if thes« wod"«e«v were taking anv senarnt" action. Mr. W'-man said: "We are do'n<r nothing at all.'.'