THE MILK QUESTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3147, 27 July 1917, Page 6

THE MILK QUESTION

CANCELLATION OF A LICENCE

CITY AND THE FARMERS

In regard to the City Council's recent decision to cancel the liceneo of the Wellington Dairy Ltd., action in which had been deferred in order to hear counsel on behalf of the company, the Mayor (llr. J. P. Luke) said last evening that in his opinion the council should adhere to its original intention and cancel tiie license. Mr. Myers had made a very able speech, but it had not convinced him that the license should be granted. He said that lie was conscious that a" great responsibility rested with them, particularly in respect to the health of the children of Wellington, and t'he trouble waj; one that was a positive danger to the community. The Mayor also made a statement as to the milk supply of Wellington, as the result of a recent conference with the farmers. The reports of the- two exports had been received, and it was for the council to say whether they should not complete the proposal which has been outlined airier in these columns, viz., that the council should erect a building as part of a group of buildings, where they could deal with the city's milk. He said, that it would bo essential to alter the price of milk at different times during the year, and they had proposed, in that direction, that two of tho farmers, two of the vendors, Councillor Wright, and himself should confer on Tuesday evening next in order to make some concrete arrangement. Councillor Luckie warned the Mayov that ho would be dealing with some of fhe hardest-headed men in the keenest business in New Zealand. These, farmers were a limited liability company, and members could withdraw at any time when things did not exactly suit them, and leave the city without a supply. The company was one "without a body to be kicked or a soul to be damned," and they had to be very careful indeed, lest they tied the council up altogether. Councillor Fitzgerald said that at the meeting with the fanners, it was agreed that nothing further should be done until : the reports of the experts were considered, and he objected to the Mayor or anyone else going behind that decision.

The Mayor pointed out that the term fixed by the Board of Trade expired in August, and.he only wished to get something fixed up before that came about. Ho also dropped a hint that if something were not done the city's milk supply Btood in danger of being cut oil" altogether. Councillor I'Vost said that it was high time the council went to the Government and explained the whole thing. They were paying' more for milk than in any other part of the country. It should be explained that they were absolutely being threatened by the fanners. The position was that the dairy fanners were, threatening that if they could not get tho price they wanted the supply would be cut off. Councillor AVright: That's it, exactly.

Councillor Barber said that dairy farmers had told him that if they did not get the price they wanted their milk would go to. tho factories. Ko moved as an amendment that tho whole matter be deferred until the next meeting of tho council.

On a division being taken the amendment to defer tho matter was defeated by the Mayor's casting vote. It was mentioned during a wandering discussion that the dairy company whose license tho council proposed to cancel had gone out of business. Councillor Atkinson stated with emphasis that if the Act had been, administered as it should have .been I Ley would never have had this interminable trouble over the condition of milk vended in the city.

On being put, the motion to cancel the company's license was earned by S votes to 7, tho minority councillors" deeming it imprudent to cancel vendors' licenses at a time when the milk question was so unsettled. The Mayor was heckled considerably over tho proposed conference, seme of the councillors holding the view that nothing effectual could be done by such a conference, but the Mayor intimated plainly that ho had called the conference, and it would tako place on Tuesday, whether they liked it or not.