CHEAP MILK SCHEME RESENTED.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3142, 6 November 1922, Page 8

CHEAP MILK SCHEME RESENTED.

An exceedingly serious stato of afluirs which demands the immediate attention of the police haw developed (s.-'.vs the Melbourne Aye) in t-Jfo milk trade. Some months ago tlie Housewives' Association. appalled at tho unconscionable price of milk, devised a scheme for supplying consumers at reasonable rates. As a result householders in many suburbs have been enabled to secure milk at od a quart, whilst private dairymen are still selling -it /til and 8d a quart. Naturally, a fame number ol people have ceased dealing with tlicar old suppliers, and have commenced to take milk from distributers acting in conjunction with (lie Housewives' Association. Already Hard lut by the new competitors "•«»>■ suburban milk vendors have, instituted reprisals. This has led to an extraordinary campaign of intimidation directed agjunwt the dmm of uiUk carts run by dairymen who are cooperating with the association, and against those dairymen themselves Ilia methods adopted are so unscrupulous that it is quite time the police took decisive action, with a view to piotecting the men whom the caml>:>igi) is intended to injure and the public generally. In at least four cases the drivers of u Ik carts- have been openly assaulted ;/':: ™ t '<-''• rounds, and manv )t era have had to submit to continual •hjieats and unceasing abuse. An amazing feature of the business is the fact that many employees of retail dairv»>;n areco-operating with the einplo'yors m this deplorable campaign o 'f in . t.m„ ation. Apparently these employees do. not want l„ see the cost of living reduced, although presumably thev •;;',;' "T™- ni . , . ,0,,K * t tho ,i,num ' sts « > »« .continually crying out against I I'ofitcering. Recently «■ nieetino- ~r dnyoFH of milk carts was held in , eastern suburb ami it was then pointed out that ,f the Housewives' Ass, nation co-operators continued to "cut "to he rounds of Ihe combine dair '"J", the latter intended to i ,st it, floliver,e,s twice a dav. This wo . "loan that the drivers who now have] work only about 35 hours „ w£k would be called upon to work /as ' m,d > "« ■»« or 50 hours „ wee Ihe employees present „ t the meeting expressed themselves as being strong v oi'lHwed any ~ urease ~, the workup hours and agreed to take actum with •i mow to crushing the housewives' ''.'' n, ' mi> - Nic decis wa.s put into elect very promptly. wHj, (.lie result that sonic of the men e.nploved bv dairymen working j„ conjunction! with t• ie Housewives Association declare that Jn carrying out their duties thev are in constant peril. This belief may be exaggerated, but if is unquestionable Unit threat* have been made, and that m a number of cases open assaults have occurred.

Another reprehensible practice which has been instituted in some of the suburbs is that of tampering with the milk left by the Association's distributors. During the last week or so customers have made numerous complaints to the effect that the milk left has been found to be sour, or otherwise unlit lor consumption. [lll several instances investigations have proved that dirt has been dropped into milk jugs left on the doorstep. In otbers a powder has been used, with the object of souring the milk, anil more than once vinegar lias been poured into the milk. Since tile utmost care lias been taken to see that the milk is pure and fresh when delivered, it is obvious thai, some unscrupulous persons have been at work, with the premiditated design of killing the housewives' scheme and leaving the Held clear for retailers belonging to the milk combine. A lew days ago 13 quarts of milk was delivered at a suburban hall for a social evening. There is proof that the milk was absolutely I'resji when delivered, but an hour or so alter it became sour, suggesting that ithad been tampered with. A later issue ol the Age records the .lining of several men on assault' charges.