MILK SUPPLIES

Dominion, Volume 39, Issue 28, 27 October 1945, Page 9

MILK SUPPLIES

Metropolitan Board To Be Set Up

RESULT OF INQUIRY

‘‘lmmediate stops are now being taken by the Milk Marketing Division, in consultation with the local bodies in the Hutt Valley and Bays area, to set up a Metropolitan Milk Board.” said the Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, when announcing yesterday that the recommendations embodied in the report of the committee of inquiry into the organization of milk supplies in th» Wellington metropolitan area included provision for the establishment of a Metropolitan Milk Authority for the Hutt Valley and Bays areas as soon as possible. The Minister added that when the board had been established the further recommendations embodied in the committee's report would come up for formal discussion with the now milk authority in order to determine the further action to be taken.

The committee of inquiry consisted of Messrs. M. E. Lyons, chairman, H, E. Combs. M.P.. and L. Nisbet, and the recommendations embodied in their report nre as follows : — That a Metropolitan Milk Authority be established /or the Hutt Valley and Bays area as early as possible. That while the supply of bottled, pasteurized milk for the Mutt Valley and Bays area is drawn from the Wellington City Council plant, the terms of the present agreement between the Wellington City Council and the Hutt Valley Vendors Association should continue, subject to an adjustment to cover un anomaly as to returned milk. The committee recommends, that the Director of Milk Marketing negotiate with the parties concerned to overcome the difficulty mentioned.

That the advisability of' licensing a plant at Mangaroa or at some other suitable place for the bottling of raw milk for distribution in the Hutt Valley and Bays area be referred to the local milk authority, when constituted, subject to the proviso that the sole responsibility for the testing of supplies for purity and quality into and out of such plant be accepted by the milk authority. City Milk Supply.

In respect to the representations that the supply of bottled pasteurized milk from the Wellington City Council should be placed on a permanent basis, the committee reported as follows Majority recommendation by Messrs. M. E. Lyons and H. E. Combs. —“That we were disappointed that no factual data dealing with operating and transport costs and on the general economic problem involved were submitted. We are not able, therefore, to determine between the relative efficiency of the possible pasteurizing unit at Mangaroa as compared with the existing plant at Wellington. In view of this, we recommend that the supply of bottled pasteurized milk should be drawn from the Wellington City Milk Department. “We visualize the not far distant day when the householders res,'dent in the Hutt Valley and Bays area will use all the milk produced in the Hutt Valley production area. It follows that close collaboration between the Wellington City Council and the Hutt Valley and Bays Milk Authority should exist. We trust that these two authorities will come together when, a’hd as often as, there are matters of mutual interest to resolve.’’' Minority recommendation by Mr. L. C. Nisbet was as follows. —“I dissent from the recommendation of the other members in regard to paragraph 1 of Clause 4, and ray reply to the question as to whether or not the supply of bottled pasteurized milk from the Wellington City Council should be placed on a permanent basis is that I was disappointed with the lack of factual data submitted in connexion with the operating and transport costs and the economic problems involved generally, and am unable to determine, on the evidence presented the relative efficiencies of pasteurizing at Mangaroa as compared with Wellington. Accordingly, I recommend as a short-term policy at least that the supply of bottled pasteurized milk should be drawn from the Wellington City Milk Department.” With regard to -the representations for the inclusion of the Wellington city area within the scope of the Milk Act. 1944, the committee states that, having regard to the recent expression of opinion by the Legislature, the Wellington City area should continue to be excluded from the operation of the Milk Act, 1944. “The time has not arrjycd for a review of the existing position,” states the committee. “The competition for milk by the Wellington City Council and the Hutt Valley vendors over the same field is probably not in the best interests of consumers.. There are two schemes of payment in operation, the Wellington City Council buying on a butterfat content basis, .and the Hutt Valley milk vendors buying at a rate per gallon. While such differential exists there' is always the possibility that the higher butterfat milk will be sold in the more profitable market.”