Hutt Valley Milk

Hutt News, Volume 19, Issue 12, 22 August 1945, Page 5

Hutt Valley Milk

PETONE BOROUGH PERTURBED. POLITICAL INTERFERENCE ALLEGED Further objections to the action of the Minister of Health and the Central Milk Council in delaying the setting up of a Hutt Valley Milk Board, were voiced at Monday's meeting of the Petone Borough Council. The mayor, Mr. H. Green, said they in Petone, and the local bodies in Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Eastbourne and the Hutt County Council, had been approached by the Government and had decided to form a Hutt Valley miiK board. me milk council informed them it would only be a matter of time before the board would be constituted. What happened then was that other districts were formed into milk boards, hut they were ignored. "This is a matter that I feel very strongly about," said Mr. Green. "There seems to be no reason or justification on the part of the milk council to prevent the board being set up." Mr. Green said they should protest strongly against the council's undemocratic attitude. They, as the accredited elected representatives of the people, should be able to handle the matter themselves. Referring to the Hutt Valley Consumers' Society, he said he strongly objected to a political body interfering with, the functions of a local body. The consumers' society seemed to be able to reach the ears of those in authority more easily than the elected representatives. Mr.. Green said milk pasteurized in the valley woui<; be fresher by 24 hours than milk pasteurised in Wellington.

Cr. A. M. Macfarlane said he discredited the Hutt Valley Consumers' Society as being representative of the people. The society had a strong political flavour behind it, he said. He asked wliy niey should subscribe to the milk supply of another centre when they could have their own supply in the valley. As things were at present, when anything happened to lorries bringing Wellington's milk down from the country, tlie supply to Hutt Valley schools was affected. Recently there was a shortage of ruilk somewhere near Wanganui, with the result that schools in the Hutt Valley went without milk for four days.

It was decided to refer the question to a meeting of the Hutt Val ley and Bays Local Body Milk Committee.