Milkmen Reject Accusations

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31236, 7 December 1966, Page 15

Milkmen Reject Accusations

A plea that the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board clear milk vendors of an accusation that some of them insist on payment by tokens and refuse monthly payment by cheque was made by Mr P. A.* Caithness at a meeting of the board.

cerned at the adverse public- ■ which came as something of a bombshell.” he said. The vendors were not pushing the • iblic around, and the board should clear them of such accusations. Mr Caithness, who is the Canterbury Milk Vendors’ representative on the Milk Board, was refer- - ng to a published allegation by a customer. She had stated it was time the milk vendor's bluff was called on whether he would leave milk if this or that condition was not complied with. The allegations gave the j apression that vendors were ooiiged to give credit, stated a long letter from the Vendors’ Association received by tne board. The customer was correct In her assumption that a vendor of milk could not insist that payment be made by the milk token system, the association said. But she was wrong in her view that the customer could require the vendor to accept payment by means of a monthly cheque.

It was also wrong to assume that the vendor could be required to call at the customer’s house every week or every month to collect the amount due for milk sup- ' plied. “If a customer is not prepared to adopt the system of payment by means of tokens, and if the vendor is not prepared to supply milk on credit, then the only course open to the customer who wants milk delivered is to pay in cash as each delivery is made,” the association said. Position On Credit The association said a customer was not entitled to insist that he be given credit. There was nothing to prevent monthly or weekly payment being agreed to between a vendor and his customers. But a vendor could not be forced to extend credit. “The best way to eliminate bad debts is to insist on cash down at the time of delivery,” the vendors said. “But the disadvantages of leaving money at the gate all night at

1 the mercy of pilferers Is obvious." The system of payment by means of nrilk tokens had ; been devised in the interests of both vendors and customers to deal with this problem. Vendors were doing a good job with tokens, said Mr H. E. Denton. Monthly and weekly accounts were run, but it would be in the interests of all consumers if all used tokens. The board should not answer criticism published in a newspaper directed at the Vendors’ Association, said the chairman (Mr W. E.’ Olds). But the board confirmed the letter as being, in general, a reflection of its own policy.