LYTTELTON MILK SUPPLY

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26855, 7 October 1952, Page 8

LYTTELTON MILK SUPPLY

BOROUGH COUNCIL’S DISCUSSION COMMITTEE SET UP TO INVESTIGATE The Lyttelton Borough Council last evening appointed a special committee to investigate the milk supply of Lyttelton and report back to the council. A motion by Cr. Gladys Boyd, that the council constitute itself a milk authority lapsed for want of a seconder. In reply to a letter from the council Mr H. R. Lake, M.P., wrote saying that he felt that the only solution was for the council to agree to act as a milk authority as suggested in a letter from the chairman of the Central Milk Council (Mr W. B. Tennent), which he enclosed. In his letter Mr Tennent said ’ that the borough council had consistently refused to function as a local milk authority and had not been agreeable to inclusion in the Christchurch metropolitan milk district. Had it acted as a milk authority it could have had the responsibility of arranging its own milk supplies to its own satisfaction. The opportunity was still open to it. He said that there was no prohibition on the sale of raw milk in Lyttelton. Only raw milk was sold in the Diamond Harbour portion of the borough. It was merely that raw milk was not available from the normal source of supply. The chairman of the Canterbury Dairy Farmers’ Company, Ltd. had indicated that his company was quite willing to make available raw milk from a farm at Teddington. The cost of getting the milk from Teddington would be considerable, and the reduction in the gallonage from Christchurch would make the cartage of that milk more costly. The council would have to consider any danger of jeopardising the continuance of a supply of pastuerised milk to the consumers wanting it. On a basis of demand in other areas, these were in a majority. Motion Lapses

In moving that the council operate as a milk authority, Cr. Boyd said that at present the council had no authority over the milk supply m Lyttelton. She urged the council to consider the question carefully. Her motion failed to find a seconder and lapsed. Cr. W. Morris moved that a committee be set up to go thoroughly into the matter and investigate the position. In seconding the motion, Cr. Irene Gilmour said she wished to assure Cr. Boyd that she was not Unsympathetic to her motion. It was just a waste of time, said Cr. Boyd. There was no control over the milk vendors, and nobody to see that they completed their deliveries by 11 a.m.

The contention that there was no raw milk to spare from Christchurch was absurd, said;. Cr. A. K. Dyne. Milk was drawn from producers in the Lyttelton district and sent to Christchurch. Consumers should have freedom of choice. Cr. T. B. said that the milk supply was now in the hands of a monopoly and they would have to take what was given them. Until recent years, Lyttelton had a splendid milk supply. He was satisfied that 75 per cent of the people preferred raw milk.

The council was functioning satisfactorily as a milk authority before, said the Mayor (Mr F. G. Briggs). Then one vendor wrote to Wellington and “threw a spanner into the whole works.” The control of milk should be the function of the Government and not of local bodies. He was in favour of the right of choice. “I think we should thank the Christchurch Milk Company for supplying us at all,” he said. “They could refuse.” He said the producers were members of the Federated Farmers and tied up with the milk companies. They could not supply Lyttelton. The resolution was carried, and Crs. W. Morris, Boyd, Dyne, E. H. Paulsen and Gilmour were appointed to be the committee. » Request to City Council The Christchurch City Council last evening received a letter from the Lyttelton Borough Council, seeking support for the borough’s campaign for a choice of raw or pasteurised milk. Cr. T. H. McCombs said this was not a matter for the council and at his suggestion the letter was referred to the Milk Board.