MILK SUPPLY IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27735, 12 August 1955, Page 3

MILK SUPPLY IN CHRISTCHURCH

» CONSUMERS PAWNS OF VESTED INTERESTS” “It they would give us the facilities for being present at their meetings anf obtaining information about what waS being proposed in the milk we might lie able to help with a fresh, and independent outloofc not coloured by those engaged in the industry," said the president of the Milk Consumers’ Protection Association (Mr H. W. Thompson) yesterday, when he pro-' tested at the failure of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board to invite the association to the board’s meeting with the New Zealand Milk Board. The metropolitan board, hej said, had been reported as having re, solved to invite the association. Mr Thompson said Christchurch milk consumers were being bought and sold with milk rounds, and had become “the pawns of vested interests and milk monopolists.” He criticised the metropolitan board for allowing zoning to mean “goodwill to so many gallons at £l2 a gallon.” The milk industry was protected by special legislation and should remember that protection carried a corresponding obligation to give of its best in the service of the public, said Mr Thompson. The Milk Act, 1944, was meant to give those engaged in the industry an adequate living and to assure consumers of an adequate supply of milk, but to the consumer that seemed to have been translated into protecting, at all costs, the vested interests of town milk suppliers. The association had noted with approval the board’s present efforts to improve the quality of the milk. It was a Pity the position had been allowed to drift. Experts said it would take five years to bring the milk back to good quality. When the association had asked for representation on the metropolitan board, it had been told it was superfluous. Had, however, the association been given representation it might have been able to avert the dangerous drift in milk quality, said Mr Thompson.