AUCKLAND MILK SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25247, 28 July 1947, Page 6

AUCKLAND MILK SUPPLY

FUTURE OF TREATMENT HOUSES SPECIAL COMMITTEE SET UP (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 27. With the appointment of a special committee to examine and make recommendations for the carrying-on of milk treatment houses in Auckland, the withholding of more than hall Auckland’s milk supply by New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company producers has been avoided. This was indicated by the chairman of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Board (Mr A. S. Bailey) when he returned from a series of conferences in Wellington. The producers of the group, which supplies more than 51 per cent, of the milk for Auckland in normal times, protested against the policy of the Central Milk Council in favouring publicly-controlled treating houses, •nd said the New Zealand Co-opera-tive Dairy Company “might fight the issue with such weapons as were at its disposal.” It was stated that the Central Milk Council had opposed the expenditure of about £llO,OOO on rebuilding the company’s treatment plant at Epsom, on the ground that the scope of the Auckland Milk Treatment Corporation would ultimately be extended to control the treatment of all milk in the Auckland area. “The conferences in Wellington were exceedingly satisfactory, because I think we averted what might have been a very serious situation,” Mr Bailey stated. By the appointment of a committee, which had been agreed to by all parties, the threat of a stoppage in milk supplies had been averted, and he had no doubt the committee would reach conclusions that would be satisfactory to everyone.