MILK DISTRIBUTION

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21733, 16 March 1936, Page 18

MILK DISTRIBUTION

TO TH* EDITOR 09 THE PHESS. ■ Sir, —As the milk question is of considerable importance to dairymen and consumers alike; and some correspondence has appeared/on the subject recently, some observations may be in order. - , There is a rumour circulating that a committee of dairymen, purporting to represent the city and suburban milk supply, has met Ministers of the Grown. I strongly object to these back-door methods. Some two years ago an association was formed and a committee was set up which waited on the various councils in the metropolitan area to endeavour to get support for some price-fixing scheme, but very little support was forthcoming. Nevertheless, a bill was drafted and taken in charge by Mr Kyle, member of Parliament for Riccarton. The matter was apparently dropped. This so-called Dairymen’s Association has not had an annual meeting or election of officers, nor has it published an annual report. Dairymen should at the present time be very careful and guarded as to what they do support, more especially those producing and selling direct to the consumer. These represent a large percentage of the industry. The expressed intention of the present Government is the socialisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange. If a law is brought into operation to socialise the milk supply, it would not be necessary for it to be approved by any city council or borough council. Herein lies the danger of a few persons masquerading as representing the milk producers who produce and supply the city. Perhaps it is not known to dairymen that on December 12 last regulations were gazetted to sell cream obtained by a dairy company from a dairy which has not been registered. This is the thin edge of the wedge with a vengeance. I consider it is high time dairymen who produce milk for a city supply should be solid in one organisation to protect their interests, or they will wake up some fine morning to find themselves slaves to the State. Yours, etc., R ELISS . Heathcote, March 14, 1936.