TOWN MILK SUPPLY

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 August 1946, Page 6

TOWN MILK SUPPLY

OWNERSHIP OF TREATMENT

PLANT

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 1. If any partnership was to be formed on the ownership of milk treatment plants for town supply between producers and consumers, said Mr. J. J. Maher, chairman of the Town Milk Producers’ Federation of New Zealand, at the annual conference, he would prefer that the consumers’ interest should be held by the State rather than by a municipality. “I would, of course, prefer to see milk treatment handled exclusively by a producei’ organisation,” he said. “I think that would give the greatest efficiency, but as it does not appear possible I am prepared to agree to the principle of a producer-consumer partnership where exclusive producer control is out of the question.” Mr. Maher said the executive had given much attention to the proposals made by the Central Milk Council for the construction of public corporations to handle milk treatment, and the majority had opposed anything in the nature of socialising that section of the industry. It now appeared possible to effect a compromise un<ler which producers and consumers shared equally in the control of treatment, and the executive had agreed to that form of organisation. Mr. Maher said that the executive of the federation had recorded its unqualified opposition to the licensing of producers by local milk authorities, and to the right of authorities’ inspectors to go on farms without the consent of supply associations.