MILK ZONING

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23625, 30 April 1942, Page 3

MILK ZONING

Sir,—ln reply to “Pasteurised.” it Is obvious that my family’s health is my chief concern, when I say that for 12 years none of my children has missed a day’s schooling, partly because they have always had plenty of fresh, raw milk. For one week, 10 years ago, we bought “pasteurised” milk, in which we found, on two occasions, a plump, well fed maggot, cooked of course, and obviously milk-fed! To thinking mothers I say, “Why do the Plunket authorities advise mothers to buy raw milk and pasteurise it themselves, if necessary?” I am afraid that the pasteurised milk vendor will get a rude shock when zoning begins, and. he finds how many housewives refuse to accept his product.—Yours, etc., HOUSEWIFE NO. 2. April 29, 1942.

Sir,—Does milk zoning necessarily mean that we will be forced to take pasteurised milk? If so, where are we working mothers to get oranges? I have always understood that children, must have a daily orange juice ration to make up vitamins ruined by pasteurisation. Surely the Government has plenty to do without interfering with everything we need. Since cutting out bread delivery, the bakers don’t care, and present-day bread is far below the standard of privately-deliv-ered bread.—Yours, etc., MOTHER OF FOUR. April 29, 1942.

Sir,— Safeguarding standards of an essential food such as our milk supply is rightly stressed in your leading article of April 23. Failure of the preseht system of inspection proves the hopelessness of the supervision and the inadequacy of penalties imposed by our Courts when the rare event of watering is brought to light. A penny a quart was imposed to ensure the improvement to cowyards and milking sheds, but we are told by the milk committee that conditions are disgraceful. . ... . Under zoning we enjoy no rights and even less protection. We shall enjoy having a supplier who, when before the Court, has proved to have practised watering and we gave the order of the boot. He will, after June 1, have the

sole right to supply us, and we have not even the right to protest. . . —Yours, etc.. A . PUSH THEM OUT. April 28, 1942 Sir -— At the municipal elections last year the milk question was one of the principal matters affecting the election. The Citizens’ Association candidates clearly indicated that if they were elected there would be no interference with the free rights of the consumers. So far as the information in the newspapers i$ given, those free rights are to be ignored and action is to be taken compelling consumers to take from what vendors and what class the Milk Board directs. Is this a free country? I support those persons who have written to your paper against this threatened compulsion. No milk will be delivered to my house except what is acceptable and from whom acceptable. Let all housewives do likewise and help the small man to live. —Yours, etc., X Y Z April 28, 1942. IL. Hollings may, if desired, briefly reply; otherwise, this correspondence is closed.—Ed. “The Press.”]