The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1934. Vigilance Needed

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21148, 26 April 1934, Page 10

The Press THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1934. Vigilance Needed

The Christchurch Dairymen's Association has decided to seek an act of Parliament providing for the establishment of a council similar to that which now exists in Auckland, to control the supply of milk in the Christchurch area and to fix wholesale and retail prices. The public will be well advised to watch developments with the utmost vigilance. It can be admitted that price cutting among Christchurch suppliers has gone too far, that it may result in evasion of the regulations and in deterioration of the quality of milk supplied, I and that some regulation of compei tition has become necessary in the interests of producers. But before it consents to the establishment of a milk monopoly the public must ! weigh carefully the possible conse- ! quences for the consumers, and partij cularly those consumers whose puri chasing power has been heavily re- ; duced by unemployment. From the ; point of view of health there is no j more important item of diet than I milk, yet it is beyond question that, even at present prices, there are many hundreds of families in Christchurch unable to buy as much milk as they need. The Auckland ' division of the British Medical AssoI elation recently passed a resolution regretting the increase in Auckland milk prices and gave the following reasons for its action:—- | (li That milk in adequate quantities is essential for the maintenance of health and a proper standard of physical development in the growing child (2) That from observations ol members of the association and of school medical officers there is sub- i stantial evidence that the average j consumption of milk in families in j less fortunate circumstances is already far below the minimum requirement. (3) That in such homes any increase in cost will reduce consump- ; tion to a still lower level. Supply j of milk to schools will not entirely counteract the effects of this deficiency, for perhaps the most important years of growth are those from birth to school age. In fact, Ihc higher prices enforced by the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council have already reduced con- j sumption by 10 per cent.; and it seems reasonable to suppose thai j eventually the reduction will be, larger. The case of the Auckland j Hospital Board, which uses 85,500 j gallons of milk a year, has already j been mentioned in ". The Press." | Tiio .control scheme has exactly j doubled the cost of the board's sup- j ply; since the new act cancels the price clauses in all existing con-1 tracts. It should be noted, moreover, I that the Auckland act allows, not merely price filing and the varia- ! lion of existing contracts, but con- [ trol of supply even to the extent j of preventing the consumer from] changing to another supplier if he ! is dissatisfied. The Auckland pub- j lie is now regretting its apathy and j regretting it too late. The Christchurch public will have no excuse | it it makes the same mistake. !