City Milk Delivery

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 221, 15 June 1931, Page 11

City Milk Delivery

Sir, —Can you tell me why it is that the city milk department make such early deliveries of milk? Of course, I can quite understand the near-by farmers having to make early deliveries, and the early deliveries before the advent of the milk department, but now the milk is pasteurised and bottled, it seems to me that it could be conveniently delivered in the afternoons or after 7 o’clock in the mornings. It seems to me also that although it is a factory it is treated regarding early morning business as though the cows and the milking machines were situated at Tory Street. I should think it would be better for the employees if they had a later delivery ; it certainly would be better for the residents of Wellington, as it would cut out the noise of horse trolleys and motortrucks and the transferring of crates at such an early hour of the morning. . I think the operations commence just before 5 a.m. In any case an improvement could be made by fitting rubber tires to the present vehicles, seeing that the department is revenue-pro-ducing. Why not an early delivery of bread? —I am, etc., EL LI. CREAM, Wellington. June 10.

[The matter of milk distribution to the public, and tue time of its delivery, is, according to inquiries made, the outcome of many years of experience. That the delivery is made first thing in the morning is, it is stated, the direct answer to the publie’s demand for fresh milk for breakfast, and any break away from that established custom would at once be resented by . a large proportion of the public. There are other considerations also which make the morning distribution the most convenient for the greatest number of people. The reception of the milk from the country farms is, to some extent. governed by the seasons of the year. In the summer-time, when the temperatures are pretty uniformly warm, the evening’s milk is brought to town the same night, and put into the cooler, and the. process of chilling keeps it fresh and good, which may not be the case were it left on the farm overnight.. The early morning's milk also comes in the same morning, and both lots are put through the pasteurising process together, and go out the following morning to the public. In the winter it is not necessary to bring the milk in with such expedition, as the temperatures are cooler, enabling the milk to keep better. As' to whether a day delivery would suit the employee better is a matter for speculation. When this point was referred to the general manager (Mr. It. Herron), he was inclined to think that it would not be favoured by the employees, as it would mean working on Saturday and Sunday afternoons to get through. The ]M>int about the wagons may be adjusted in a measure shortly, as it has been found that many of the original wagons have not the best undergear. but that chaifge may not come at present for obvious reasons. 1