MILK FOR CITY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3251, 12 April 1943, Page 5

MILK FOR CITY

TE AROHA WEST ACTION WATER AT WAITAKARURU RELIEVING THE SHORTAGE Beginning from Thursday evening, April 1, a thousand gallons of milk per day is being sent from Te Aroha West factory to Auckland city to relieve the shortage caused by the prolonged drought. The milk will continue to be sent until the supply obtainable from the Auckland area is sufficient to meet the demand. Meetings of Suppliers The appeal to supply the city had come to Te Aroha West suppliers through the Hamilton office of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited, and Messrs H. Davy and L. Cubis, officials of the company, had addressed a representative meeting of suppliers that morning, stated Mr H. F. Christensen, manager of the Te Aroha West factory, in the course of an interview with the Te Aroha News recently.

Suppliers, it was stated, had signified their willingness to supply the city through the emergency period, although the supply of milk <o the factory was rapidly diminishing. At present approximately 4000 gallons daily was being handled, and it was possible that more than 1000. gallons might later be required for the city. The city would be supplied first, said Mr Christensen, even if the factory had to cease work .altogether. This, however, was not likely. In the event of Te Aroha West not being able to supply all the milk required for the city, additional supplies would be drawn from Manawaru.

Delivered by Lorry

Some idea of the efficiency of’•modern motor transport was given when Mr Christensen stated that the evening milk would leave Te Aroha West by lorry (and one lorry could take approximately 52 20-gallon cans) about seven o’clock. This would reach Auckland about 11 p.m. and the milk would be pasteurised and delivered to customers in the morning. If more milk was supplied it would Jiave to be from the morning milking.

Already Drawn From Outside * While the bulk of Auckland milk was usually drawn from districts close to the city such as Mangere, the unusually dry conditions this yeai have necessitated it being drawn from iPukekohe and even Waitakaruru. The position has been made more difficult, it was stated, by the increased demand for milk in Auckland ■city caused by the presence of troops. This was also a fluctuating demand and rather difficult to gauge in advance.

The supply would only be drawn from the Te Aroha West district until the drought broke and conditions returned to normal in the city’s usual supply area. Manawaru Decisions

About 35 suppliers were present on the same afternoon when the position was discussed at Manawaru and it was decided to supply Auckland. It is understood that the first consignment of milk (a full lorry of approximately 1100 gallons) was sent last night. It has been ascertained that part of the trouble has been brought about by the fact that Waitakaruru, owing to the dry season, has not sufficient water to cool its milk and it is therefore no ' longer fit for city supply. It was again emphasised that the supply would be for an indefinite period and may last right through the present month as recent rains would not make any appreciable ' difference to the stock food and milk supply position for some time. Objection Raised An objection to supplying the city was made by some suppliers who were concerned about the supply of whey for their pigs. It was pointed out, however, that less than half Manawaru suppliers kept pigs, owing to the difficulty of transporting the whey if they lived far from the factory. In any case the company would be getting a better price by supplying the city than by making cheese.