MILK AND CREAM

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 129, 28 November 1923, Page 11

MILK AND CREAM

SUMMER AND WINTER PRICES

Tha opinion that the milk consumers of Wellington are placed in a more favourable position than the consumers in other main towns in New Zealand and Australia was expressed by the manager of the Municpial Milk Department (Rotarian ,R. E. Herron)' at the Rotary Club ye&terday.. That opinion had been founded on information available as to the quality- and sanitary condition of the milk and the hygienic method of putting it up, combined with the standard of service given. "One of the department's difficulties," he stated, "is the fixing of selling .prices of milk and cream for both the summer and winter periods,' for the reason that the cost thereof varies considerably as the market values •of butter and cheese fluctuate.- There is also the variation of the fat content of the milk as between the summer and winter seasons, which 1 also affects the gallon cost thereof, and, accordingly,, the department is quite unable'-to estimate the forward cost of the milk and cream to be purchased, for which it is necessary to" fix selling prices for a.given period on account of the milk tokens and cream coupons being in use. • As the department does not aim at making any profit, except that which is required to cover working expenses and for the necessary reserves to cover the depreciation on buildings, plant, etc., it naturally follows that in the event of an abnormal profit being made during any selling period such profit is taken into.consideration and influences the'prices when fixed for the succeeding selling period. In this way any excess . prorit made is absorbed in trading. For the purpose of comparison, I have'recently made inquiry as to the prices of milk and cream now current, or current last winter, in the principal cities of Australasia, and find that in very few of such cities have the prices ruled or are ruling lower than in Wellington." Retail prices of bottled milk (per quart) were given a s follow:—Current summer: Wellington 7d, Christchurch 6d, Melbourne 9d. Last winter: Wellington 7Jid, Christchurch '6d, Melbourne lOd. Under the heading of "loose," the following prices were , stated :—Current summer: Auckland 6d,. Christchurch 3d, Dunedin 6d, Newcastle 7Ad, Sydney 9d, Melbourne 7^d, Hobart Bd,.Adelaide Bd, Perth 9d. Last winter: Christchurch 6d, Dunedin 6d, Newcastle 7d, Sydney 9d, Melbourne B£d, Hobart 9d, Adelaide Bd, Perth 9d. Particulars of cream prices had also been obtained, and were as follow (per pint).—Bottled: Current summer: Auckland 2s lid, Wellington 2s 2d, Melbourne 2s 6d, Hobart 2s 6d. Last winter: Auckland 2s lid, Wellington 2s 2d, Melbourne 3s 9d, Hobart 2s 6d. The retail prices of "loose" cream during the current summer and last winter were:—Christchurch 2s, Dunedin Is lOd, Newcastle 2s 6d, Sydney 3s 4d (tinned), Adelaide 2s 6d, Perth 2s 3d. In Melbourne the summer price was 2s 6d, and the winter price 3s 9d.