PRICE OF MILK

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25299, 26 September 1947, Page 2

PRICE OF MILK

INCREASE IN DISTRIBUTION MARGIN SOUGHT

Milk vendors throughout New Zealand are at present seeking an increase of 3jd a gallon in the distribution margin. The present margin, which was set four years ago, is 9d a gallon.

nrtTi he ,r Cha j rman A of the Independent Milk Vendors’ Association in Christchurch (Mr H. S. Thelnlng), who returned on Wednesday from Wellington,

said that a decision to ask the Government for the increase was made at a meeting of the Dominion Federation of Milk Vendors in Wellington on Tuesday. Mr Thelning said that members of the federation were to have met the Minister of Marketing (Mr E. L. Cullen) on Thursday. The margin of 9d a gallon was based on front-gate delivery on a block system, said Mr Thelping. The federation, in deciding to ask the Government for the increase also asked for the increased margin to be made retrospective to April 1. “The vendors did not receive a fraction of a penny of the increase of 4d a gallon which the consumers have been paying since April 1,” said Mr Thelning. “We have just been collecting it for the Government.” He said that the director of milk marketing. Mr H. H. Innes, had addressed the conference, and had said that the claim was too high. Mr Thelning said that he thought the Government would have to meet the cost of. the increased margin, if it was approved, by a subsidy.