CITY COUNCIL'S SUCCESS

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 145, 22 June 1922, Page 8

CITY COUNCIL'S SUCCESS

NO. 3 DISTRICT FULLY SUPPLIED

REASONS FOR DEPARTMENT'S

ACTION.

; At less than twenty-four hours' notice the City -.Council's milk department today achieved the feat of delivering milk to between 8000 and 10,000 houses in a widely scattered district, which, up till to-day, were supplied by the shareholders of No. 3 Municipal Milk Company. According to the information supplied to The Post, it was not until 1.45 p.m. yesterday that the distribution branch received instructions, 'following on a notification to the company, that the usual supply of milk to the company would not be available to-day. A certain amount of organisation preparatory to the big change-over which is to take place on 9th July had already been done,, but the department was by 'no means thoroughly prepared for the emergency which arose. Practically all the roundsmen employed by the shareholders of No. 3 Company signified their loyalty to the council by immediately accepting employment in the milk department, and that certainly simplified matters a great deal. As a result of the organisation done at very short notice few people went without their milk to-day. In some cases the milk arrived later than usual ; in other cases it arrived earlier. Various conveyances were utilised,- and working under great difficulties the men did exceedingly well. A resident of Lyall Bay called at The Post for the purpose of paying a tribute to the department and the men for the success which had attended their efforts. THE; COMPANY'S PROTEST. A meeting of the block-holders affected by the Department's decision to take over the rounds immediately was held last night, when the following motion was carried unanimously :— | "That this meeting, of block-holders of tho Wellington Milk Vendors' Association regrets the action of the City Corporation in announcing its ' intention to refuse to •; supply the ■ vendors with milk to-morrow and subsequent! days, ( thus inconveniencing nearly half of the city, throwing a number of men suddenly out of work, and misleading the public to think tbat the men * whose names have been advertised in the press are guilty of..some wrongdoing.- The vendors named in the advertisement; wish their ( customers and the public to know that the reason given by the Milk Department is that the directors of the; association declined last evening to give to the Milk Committee information which it had no right to expect.!' : COUNCILLOR, NORWOOD'S REPLY To-day the chairman of the Milk Committee (Councillor C. B. Norwoodi) was asked to make a statement concerning the position generally and the assertions contained in the above motion in particular:' "Not unnaturally," he said, "the public of Wellington will be surprised at the change of events which has take place so suddenly—a chaugo which has compelled the milk department to undertake as from to-day the supply of milk to houses in a very large area of the city. Statements have been .made public by thel vendor company distributing in this area, which would make it seem that tho company was in some-way harshly treated. '■.-; I want to assure the public that everything possible was done in a'^business way and consistent with th e public interest to prevent any harshness. Indeed, .it was'thestrongest desire of my committee that the vendors should complete their term of contract uninterruptedly,'so that the council could, bring about the changes contemplated at the appointed time (9th ■July).'- I wish to 'say that the reasons for the council's action were solely financial reasons. The company in question was so far back in its payments that to allow it further latitude would have been equivalent to gross neglect. The officers of the department did everything possible by letter and personal interviews to secure payment, without success. Finally, members of my committee, with myself and the general manager, met'the directors in conference with a view to giving them an opportunity of explaining their financial position. Every im-portant-question was met by the managing director of the company with the reply that the directors, who were present, refused to let him divulge this information. Ido not wish to state more than that, for fear that it might prejudice further inquiries.

"I: can state positively," said Councillor Norwood, "that few of the householders have been seriously, inconveni.enced. We have done everything possible to prevent that." ' ,

In this connection, Councillor Norwood paid a tribute to the work of the executive' officers and the staff, mentioning particularly the general -manager (Mr. Hcrron), the distributing /manager (Mr. Cole), and the latter's assistant . (Mr. Peters). All the roundsmen but two employed by the No. 3 company, entered the service of the council, so, as far as tliat was concerned, the council's 'action had not caused any unemployment.

" I am amazed at the few complaints received," concluded Councillor Norwood. " I am amazed at the department's success."