MUNICIPAL MILK SCHEME

Evening Star, Issue 22574, 16 February 1937, Page 7

MUNICIPAL MILK SCHEME

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —It has surprised me that there has appeared no expression of public opinion on the proposal of the City Council to take on the role of milk vendor in Dunedin. Surely there are more pressing matters of health, which come more justly within the municipal duties. Greater cleanliness in the streets and byways and the erection of a destructor are pressing needs for public hygiene, as also the clearance of rubbish. It is futile and childish to argue that because the cities of Auckland and Wellington have a municipal" milk scheme therefore Dunedin should follow. The conditions are totally different. Dunedin is quite a small town; the milk supply is excellent in quality and adequate to the needs of our population. Dairy farms are on the very outskirts of the town—not more than two or three miles distant. Milk comes direct from the milking sheds to the individual householder, in time for the school children’s breakfast, and the. price is reasonable. Dunedin housewives are capable of judging the quality. _ There is the choice of many dairies, having the highest reputation, and surely the women have the gumption, the courage, the common sense to choose the best supply of good milk. Inspectors serve to keep up the standard. All these advantages are lost when the city takes over the milk runs.

Good is mixed with indifferent qualities. Milk delivered to the municipal centre, treated before the distribution, must be at least 12 hours old before the children get it. Inspectors will not have a free hand over the vans delivering milk, and certainly the price will go up and remain up. The ratepayer will be burdened with increasing expense, as well as the initial cost of, £6,000. There was no mandate given to the councillors at the election. I cannot recall any mention of the milk scheme in any important speech; the matter should, stand over till next election for the consideration of the ratepayers. Let me say that I am in no way connected with the dairying industry, nor ever have been. As a consumer I have had very varied • experience, ranging from a pastoral county in England to the large industrial cities of the north-—cities with a population of over a million—where the atmosphere is vitiated with the smoko of ironworks, etc.; also London, with its 7,000,000 inhabitants. But in this small town, free from polluted air, we do not need to take on the financial burden of a municipal milk scheme. I hope that the project will not be pushed through.—l am, etc., Woman Ratepayer. February 16.