DISPUTE ON PRICE FOR TOWN MILK

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 8

DISPUTE ON PRICE FOR TOWN MILK

Rationing In Hastings And Napier

/New Zealand Press Association) - NAPIER, January 12. 'Napier and Hastings are to have milk rationing on Wednesday, because of pressure applied by the Hawke’s Bay Raw Milk Producers’ Co-operative, Ltd. . ■ Since Friday the supply of milk by the company to the Hastings milk-treatment station has been progressively cut, in a move to obtain a better price for milk supplied for consumption in towns. The producers are dissatisfied With the price fixed by the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Skinner), On Saturday the treatment station received 3625 gallons, instead of the usual 6000. Yesterday it was cut to 3449 gallons, and today to 1722 gallons.

The manager of the treatment station (Mr J. Whiting), who is also the • New Zealand Milk Board’s representative in Hawke’s Bay, has maintained, since the campaign was started by the producers, that the station would be able to obtain alternative supplies and that there would be no rationing.

Supplies today were obtained from the Dannevirke district, but tonight these were cut. Shortly after 8 p.m. today, Mr Whiting asked to meet representatives of the company. A meeting was held in Napier, and at 9 p.m., after a brief discussion, Mr Whiting said: — “I Give In” “I give in, because it is the best way as far as the public are concerned. I leave it to the co-operative to institute rationing as it thinks fit. We could carry on a bit longer, but I see no point in it.

“We have given in. It is up to the producers now to give us the milk. I ask for a reasonable quantity, and if they introduce rationing, well, that’s up to them. “We had alternative supplies, but they have been blocked today.”

The secretary of the company (Mr C. W. Beuth) said that the milk-treatment station had investigated every other source of supply but had found that it could not get sufficient quantities of good milk outside the company.

“The position arises that in a trial of strength they have found that they can’t get it anywhere but inside the co-operative.” he said.

“The co-operative will insure that everybody will get milk, but only in such quantities that will enable the producers to seek re-

dress through the Government and receive a price which is considered reasonable by the national executive of the town milk producers’ organisation. “That may pe by conciliation or arbitration, which have been denied to us up till now.” 4000 Gallons Today Mr Beuth then announced that the producers would supply tomorrow to the milk-treatment station 4000 gallons of milk. The daily requirement for Napier and Hastings varies between 5000 and 6000 gallons. “If the Government does not recognise our claims there will be still further cuts,’’ Mr Beuth said. Mr Whiting said after the meeting that milk rationing would be instituted in Napier and Hastings on Wednesday. There would be sufficient milk to give a normal supply tomorrow. The supply being received would be only twothirds of the* requirement, and rationing to the consumers would have to be on this ratio. He said there would be no rationing to hospitals, maternity homes, and other such institutions.