PRICE OF MILK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 118, 18 April 1934, Page 4

PRICE OF MILK

INCREASE IN AUCKLAND. HOSPITAL BOARD’S PROTEST. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, April 17. Strong comment on the formation of the Auckland Milk Council and the prices fixed by that body, was made at the meeting of the Auckland Hospital Board when a letter was received from the Auckland Milk Company intimating that the price of milk supplied to the hoard would be doubled under instruction from the Auckland Milk Council.

“AA’e have come to a stage where there is going to be no competition at all,” declared the chairman -of the Hospital Board (Mr AA 7 . AVallace). “As far as I can see, there is only one alternative and that is for the board to establish a dairy farm of its own. Mr Bernard Shaw was not far wide of the mark when he suggested we should have free milk, which is an essential commodity. The formation of this milk council is the most scandlous piece of work that has ever been perpetrated on the people of Auckland.” The board, said Mr AA’allace, was getting requests through its relief department for sustenance from families who applied for milk. There was one family in which there were nine children, six of whom were under 15 years of age, and the milk bill for that family was 7s. One of the family was a baby of four months old and the father said it must have milk at an}' cost. He was right. .‘Now the Government has established this milk council, we don’t know where it will lead us,” continued Mr AVallace. “AA 7 e may find them wanting to establish councils to control bread, meat, fruit and fish. If you are going to take away competition you are going to take away the very life blood of the community. If we are going on with legislation such as this, I do not know what is going to come of the country.”

Mr G. T. Parvin pointed out that the increase would mean £2500 more a year in the board’s milk hill. He moved that the question of establishing the board’s own farm be placed in the hands of the finance committee for investigation. “I suppose there must he some justification for the move, but it is one of the most serious things that has I ever come before the board,” said Dr. E. B. Gunson. “The medical profession has always realised that tire children of this country are not getting enough milk, and I think we should make very definite comment on a development of this kind when we think of the children, and the undernourishment that will ensue from such a move. Are we under the necessity of renewing this contract? Are we not free to say we will renew the contract for a short time only pending the purchase of a farm ? There are plenty offering. “The law allows them to break the contract,” commented Mr AA’allace. “The board’s contract should have run until September. The rise in price to Is 2d a gallon seems outrageous.” It was decided that the finance committee should inquire into the establishment of a dairy farm and also into the position of the board’s contract with the Auckland Milk Company.