Minister Asks For City Milk Talks

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31027, 5 April 1966, Page 1

Minister Asks For City Milk Talks

The Minister of Health (Mr McKay) had asked the Christchurch Committee of Supply to call a meeting with the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board and other interested parties to discuss co-operation over the supply of legal-standard milk to the city, said Mr 11. E. Denton, chairman of the board, vesterdav.

Mr Denton said the meeting had not .vet been called, but the Minister’s letter was sent only at the end of last month.

Mr Denton told the board yesterday that the Minister had confirmed that the stay in departmental legal proceedings in recent months for the enforcement of compliance with the standard for pasteurised milk was at an end. The Minister said that the stay of proceedings had come about only pending a discussion whieh the producers wanted to have with him. MINISTER’S LETTER

In a letter to the board, the Minister said that his reason for suggesting that the Committee of Supply call the meeting was that the problem of non-compliance with the legal standards stemmed from the declared difficulties of the producers. “It does not seem that in Christchurch in the past there has been the same flow of information on problems of town milk supply as has occurred in other areas," he said. “This is to be regretted, and 1 hope that, quite apart from any action that may be taken in the courts, a conference can take place.” Mr Denton said the onus was on the committee to call the meeting, but he thought it would be very pleased to have the conference suggested by the Minister. "We as a board are not Ir-

responsible people." he said, “and we want to get a reasonable result. The people of Christchurch are entitled to the best milk that it is humanly possible to get and that will meet the requirements of the regulations."

Mr G. A. Franks said the fact that the stay of prosecutions had ended was no satisfaction to the board, because the board had never had any prosecutions. But the board’s meeting with the Minister had been satisfactory, and the board now knew that the Minister was behind it in seeing that the Christchurch area got the milk it deserved. Mr Denton said he had pointed out to the Minister the “thorough lack of co-oper-ation" in the area, and the Minister had deplored it. “We should be responsible for the quality of the milk." he said, “and we are not going to fall down on the job. On the other hand, we are not going to open our mouths and let the nor’-wester blow our tongues about."

Mr Denton said the board did not know who were the offenders in the question of solids-not-fat levels. It did not want wholesale prosecution*, but it did want prosecutions where they were warranted

“We do want 100 per cent co-operation from all concerned in the production and distribution of milk,” said Mr Denton. “The Minister’s letter makes these points to the producers, and 1 hope that nothing but good can come of it."