THE PRICE OF MILK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 497, 3 May 1909, Page 4

THE PRICE OF MILK.

. The intentions of the Hutt Vallev-'Fnniii>«> winter and succeeding summer prices appeal tv!v n i- V T K m *"«Bi"g Erector (M? P A J. M .Curdy) states that naturally, as the company,had; to pay ah. increased price for milk '£ 111 .T mt f' m ° n^ 8 ' J* was business to .sell at a. Oss. Therefore, the retail prico had been, mscd a halfpenny per. quarl, P and SSLsi°f a \ thre °P e nce per quart dehveied for cash or coupon; but in announcing the rise of a halfpenny for the winter, tie company gayo a.definite assurance > that tho inoroascd price would end on September 30,-and that on October 1 the milt would again bo 2Jd. per quart delivered for cash or coupon. • ■ ' Asked what about the items "spilling"' .tt.nd-i.ld, per gallon for "handlincf" menQ I !?^. I, !- t »? of our issue of Saturday, Mr. said his company had no spilled milk to cry over. It Bold a quart for a. quart, and charged for that quart 3d. this winter. Others might sell a quart and a tablespcohful of milk as a quart tor 4d., but tho consumer thus had to pay Id. moto for that extra tablespoonful. His company was prepared to supply a third of a, quart extra, for that penny. As to handling cost," he stated that his company was paying ,ts men better than its opponents were.. Tho men received a fixed wage, and I for every extra ton gallons a driver sold i daily his-commission increased ld;> in the pound upon his cash collections for milk cream, butter, and eggs. A driver could by diligence his commissions from Gd iti _the found to. Is. in the poUnd, and thus add up to 30s. per week to his wages ' As to what tho company was paying tho , fanner for his milk in tl ie winter-w icthor t was equal to ho Bd. per gallon mentioned in our; Saturday's issue-Mr. jAl'Curdy said tho company based its prices upon a fixed sum per gallon landed at Wellington stations, Ho might, however, say- that with regard to milk from south of tho Hutt and Tawa Hat tho company paid the farmer BJd. per call lon, the. pneo diminishing gradually as the freight increased, savo in special instances whore higher prices wore paid for milk of high butter-fat test and exceptionally wellequipped dairy farms. . Its summer prices to .tho farmer were- much higher than others paid. Prior to the advent of tho Hutt Valley Farmers' Co-oporatire Milk Supply Company farmers had been paid less than thov now reotived. ' \ J A largo number of inquiries had been made for pasteurised milk, and tho copipany was now installing a pasteurising plant to meet tho domand. "We aro hero to stay," sn id Mr. M'Curdy, m conclusion, " and there are many peoplo who won't forget it."