CITY MILK SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 440, 24 February 1909, Page 9

CITY MILK SUPPLY.

INVASION BY THE FARMERS,

' ' A' NEW COMPANY. For some time past, there have been rumours of aji insurrection onl the part of farmers who : supply milk for the needs of the city of Wellington. : High .valuations, dairy (ancient and modern), and the occupation of farminglands: for residential'. purposes, have*. ■ tended, to increase the cost of production, while it is contended that a lower; price is being paid ; <i to the farmer for the commodity.'.'Several'at- (j-.v tempts have been' made by . fanners .to or?, }li, gamse, with a view, to obtaining-paying prices 1 tor ther milk, • but defections; in -then'; ranks..;... and counter, movements on the part of tiieiv opponents, "and the .natural dislike to anything savouring: of- unionism',by,, farmers' defeated'; their- aims. ' •

.. .An appeal was , made .to the ex-colonial'or-, ganiser of the New. Zealand Farmers' , Union take -the matter up, and- that gentleman' having received bonds in £50 each from those will-

ing.'to, see/the, : niatter through, proceeded ;to -. : - make inquiries as to the cost and working expenses of. co-operative > milk supply' companies •.. .elsewhere.''' Before, moving, however, a final'. V attempt was made to secure better-prices from the .milk retailers.' The milk vendors declined . to V discuss "the : prices: and negotiations.feU through.,;. Inquiries were made.y. ... by the, farmers' representative as. to the rela* tive, cost of/and rreturn : from inilk\ vending-.; V: direct to the*, consumer, and also as to cheese-"-■ making., locally, and relinquishing tho city milk- : ;v V supply' business, altogether. '. The.'farmers 'were .only inclined! to .enter upon the; cheese .business :-: should .'all other - means of: disposing of i their.7.,.s-. milk; fail. Several milk' retailers in ; the : city, . , hearing. of . the farmers' - movement, offered . v their businesses as going concerns;' some , seek- ;■ :,ing to; sell outright-, and.others to lease to the'-.:-; ', .The prices and term's encouraged the„ farmers '.to' think, there ,were : good prospects -in. the vending of milk in the city.. Matters pro-. ceeded' quietly until : suddenly,, five . new,: milk floats 'hearing the new s coriipacy's name ' apv ' •peared in front of, Bouse and .tturroll's '.factory. in •; Courtenay Place.Tho full title of- tho "iiew, company—which; on';''th9 ;: ; r : day. 1 on. Trhich the new carts' made; their first' appearance in-public—is The, Hutt galley Far- ;■; mers'. Co-operalivfc.. Milk Supply Company, Limited, :6iid- : company, under Part Vof the' Companies Act' ... 1908. The -', company's premises /having . been: approved of by; the City : Council; Inspector .on .; ..Saturday . last, 'after he. had; satisfied vhimielf that all the works stipulated by Dr. Frengley, ,District .-Health 1 Officer, vhad,been--carried.; out in their-entirety,:;commen'c6d.business,oii: M6n-/;/o day, and is now engaged, as announced. in its. advertisement: on. our front, page,; in;supplying;v milk, delivered twico daily, to householders,';at 'twopence', halfpenny; per quart for cash - or ; . coupon.' ; '/; v/i v V;;/ :S'':

'.' 'Ac visit : .to_ the new company's depot-shows i- . ..'* that "its - claim that' it deals,; in 'pure,: clean v milk is no/idle boast;:. :"All.tie' farms supply-/. ing/milk r tq>the: company:;aTe stated to -have complied .with/tliS./old ' 'drastic. Dairy liegula-: .;- : tions of: 1902. '. On arrival. at the -company's depot at the Prouse: Lumber-Company's-build-:'-''-, ing; in . TarahaK ' Street,;.the/milt- is. at once placed in ihe commodious cool 6tore, tested by / :. thermometer for' temperature, by lactometer, for' dilution and- from- time to' time/for' butter-l', fat by the Babcook test.-;.-.-Attention 'is given.// '/" to- flavour, and Ulax strainers'-:from ' the /farmers' cans .'to:' the ..//> : company's cans. The-Ulax strainer is .at' special type,' and, sifts. out/the , smallest-par-V' '.;-;.. holes of -foreign; the filter/pids .being' 'J destroyed ,by. fire, after, beingonce ■ used., TheT?;//: cans used.by. tho company are of! the factory' pattern, and' are crevices, to - facilitate j - -/:.< cleaning and inspection—doublolids are. pro-,: // vided../Mi-. James Cathcart—who has had con-, sidorable experience :in handling milk ; and - its'; ■/: / products, and who holds two certificates" for-butter-making and from (ha ./.," Glasgow and .West /of Scotland ,Agricultural' Society, and College—is in charge oi tie'''milk /:,;/:.' ■at .the.i?ity. /end.,/. A vigilant (committee :of :: Efarmers v has; the / oversight < :of the supply at the country , end, and Mr. Angus J: Jl'Curdy. : —formerly organiser, dud colonial' secretary /of'/ '..:/' the .'.New/Zealand Farmers' - Union—is managing!...:'.-: direotor, and.with Messrs.-Whiteman,'of.Upper Hutt and Akatarawa, constitute tho board of //. : /, directors of' the new.-company. The retail'' shop in Taranaki. Street ib well appointed, being ' equipped with marble-topped counter, 10ft; by 3ft. in dimensions, and a icechest, .in which /the./milk -for.'.the .counter . ; trade/ii; ißtoriß'd;':' l ..;.Movable , , , 6C 6li'op; into;two' portions, and ample- ventilation:--, is provided. The business office is situated at :the rear of. the.shop,;and .is. well equipped for the. work in hand.: In the rear, of the: main/ 7/ building .a:special building .has been -erected," ; in which the' steaming an'd- washing of cans. is ' . carried out.. A: two horse-powers boiler has .been ''/."-' - '.installed, -.and. the' steaming; table andfconcrete tjinks -for> can-washing/have ; been ' fui-nished, v. in accordanco with the conditions laid down. • by the Department of /Public Health and the' .' city by-laws., . .There is -.contiguity l between the / .milk, store,' retail -shop,/and:.steaming- plant, /. each being, isolated from'' the other. .-. The: com- : /.i pany's suibles aro situated, in. a/brick - build- i. . ; lhg-over a quarter of. a' mile/away./ .The .milk/' / store is reached by a.'wood-payed ..cart-do'ck,// / ' whence. an : electric lift conveys the full cans! /;/-.: to tho store. '. Here, three concrete, tanks, cap-: able/of affording' spice: for cans containing overi V : 700 gallons of .milk,, have ;been installed,/thai /' .''- /tanks; being capable, of' independent, or-: unitedi;: / \ action' to facilitate - cooling. 'Water-circula- :■ , i tion between , the cans'is maintained, and ample ': ventilation is provided ;foH tho store.. 'Doublei ~ ' dust-intercepting .' screens have been-/placed in: / the: lighting : apertures. I/Steam is/laid' on/ so. ;V. as/to provide for scalding .tbe! concrete/ floorsj -, and tanks from: time/to /time,;' as "may_-be sirable. ,It is.intended,to/utilise the. city eleotrio ;power mains / for- driving /any. /machinery ■ .that- may.ibe-installed so": as tb. ayoid/the .un--!/ pleasant; smells of gas . .and oil. engines: or :// heat of steam-driven appliances. The com* . pany's /drivers - fire, uniformed in groy, mthj /- engineers' caps; and: the' carts tftay... be'/easily/:distinguished /by 'their../cream 'and? /:. ■'i , ed~coJours^-''-anii;.'th#':.Avbrds>,': Supply C 0.," in largo' letters on the. came.' ! boards.-; -.

The managing director;.. Mr. Angus ■M'Curdy, ..Stares; that the-, .company,sis .'deter-',; , mined to "continue in business. and.tosupply ; : ..the-'consumer with -'pnfe. j clean;;-.milk,"' T ,dirGct;~ ; : froni farmer,'; 'His; selling-'for V/. cash.' or coupon;': arid:, in' .'so... doing .consumers,.,' J^re. not 'asked ■to pay' for the?bad; debts or tko mistakes. ofothers.;'' His corarnny is stimu- _ lating its'; employees to do good, business, by :paying_ on:: their, collections by ; providing that ten per cert, of the profits of the .company,,would;,be", paid -to its. employees ■in 'proportion', to'::,the: .remnneration :V- tliey • r&; .• : ceived.." The' .company,;, having'; no ..middleman; to; deal; with, ; ; could;afford: to-sell at. the rates quoted. ! ;