OUR DAILY MILK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2792, 9 June 1916, Page 7

OUR DAILY MILK

PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION AND PRICE

A CONFERENCE

Tho vexed question of the milk supply of Wellington and the priccs to tho public, which has been very n\uch in evidence. lately, was again discussed last night at a" conference of producers and vendors called by tho Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), which was held in the City Council Chamber. The Mayor presided, and Councillors Godber and Fuller were also present. There was a large attendance of representatives of the farmers and vendors . .

The Mayor briefly stated the object of the meeting.. Mr. Rilev, president of tho Farmers' Milk .Supply Association, said that the matter had been fully threshed out in the Press.. The farmers were not exploiters of the public. It was for the City Council to say whether price 6 were reasonable.

, Mr. Ward, secretary of tho Farmers' Milk Supply Association, said that prices chirsed in the past had been only a fair price to the fanners.' It would liavo been, likewise, a fair price to the public, but for the fact that it cost a great deal to vend milk in Wellington. Probably tho milkvendors could say why that was 60. If this information were supplied, it might be useful, and help to solve the problem of giving the farmer a fair price for liis inilli, at the as the public got it. at .a reasonable rate. Mr. Pethcrick. secretary of tho MilkVeil dors' Association, said that they had only received- notice of the meeting tho .previous evening. They were there to listen to. anything that might be said, and to give it." careful consideration. Iliey were not thero to reply to any Questions put by representatives of tho Milk Trust. The council had the question of price under consideration for next meeting.

Mr. IVard denied that the public had been enlightened through the Press as to tlio cost of vending, as stated bv Mr.Pothcrick.

Mr. Clifford said he was tunning a dairy'farm. The average cost of production for twelve months ho worked out at S 5-16 d. for the year. His income on a capital value of noarly .£3OOO amounted to .£717. The farmer was not getting too iuuoh for his milk in existing circumstancea. •

Mr. Howell saicl that thero was only ono way of producing milk in winterbv forced feed. Two-thirds of the feed the calllo got was forced feed, sucli as treacle, pollard, bran, chaff, etc. Councillor Godber said that the' conference was called to discuss the quality and the price of milk. Ho believed that tho quality had improved, recently out of sight.. (Cheers.) - He noticed by tho "Labour Journal" that Wellington was the only city where milk was retailed at Gd tier - quart. ; What was the reason-tho cost of labour, or tho high prico charged by tho farmer? (Voices: /No.) Ho would to know what the reason was. •Mr. Tarr said- lie was getting Is Id gallon for. his milk, yet that was onetnmi iess than lie received last year It ci<?v jb/ that Wellington suffered from a drought last year. That was tho reason why tho Clops had been a failure, lhe farmers would liavo to get o pnceSj or go out of business, ilr. Bodley said that the farmer should oct is. a gallon this year. Th© summer price of milk could be always fixed. TJio rise to (id. in . April was a mistake. He dia not approve of tho price beins Gd. -a 1 quart-all tho winter. Do you think as a vendor that.the vendors are iustiiied in putting on an increase above that imposed by tho tanners? -

Mr. Bodley: No, I do not. I think the price might be kept at 6d. till July ol; atter that, if farmers can seo their way, at should be reduced., (Cheers.) . /;Mr. Greville stated that when ho had visited lUanawatu some -time ago, ho was shocked to seo tho stato of tlio pastures. :^P r il the butter factories were out otiinilk. It " must b'o remembered that tho price of dairy products was determined by the f.o.b. prico in England, Wintor milking did not pay. The duty should he taken off bran and pollard. At Is. or Is. Id. per gallon, he could easily believe thore was little profit for the farmer. Tho difficulties of vending in Wellington were great. Ho suggested that tlie vendors should have; a better system of distribution, and thus lower tho cost. The, vendors might confer, with a view to giving elfect to, the suggestion, Mr. _ Staveley said that one reason' for the, high , cost of milk was the restricted source of supply, and lie suggested that efforts should be made to widen this, and thus create competition. . Councillor Fuller "said lie was not surprised at the high cost of milk in Wellington, in view of the high rents. He hoped botli sides"would grant concessions, and that the result would be that the consumor would get milk cheaper. 1 Mr. Ward, said the farmers had not the slightest intention to exploit the public of Wellington, and if thero was any possibility of reducing tho price they would do so.'. He believed that with conimonbt'use organisation by the veudors tho cost of distribution could- be reduced.

Mr. Pethcrick said_ .that his association was 'not. concerned with the price charged by. the farmers.. ,It was for the council to say whether the vendors were charging the consumers a fair price. Tho Mayor said that it seemed to him the milk vendors could have treated the public .with.a litlio more generosity, lis believed the result of the conference nould be to improve matters. It hud never been explained why the vendors had increased the price beyond tha increased -prices paid to the farmer. He hoped that as a . result of the conference there would be a fair deal all round, and that from July 1 there would be a reduction in the price. Tho conference then went into committee. |