Insufficient Milk For Auckland City Supply

Northern Advocate, 5 October 1943, Page 2

Insufficient Milk For Auckland City Supply

(Special) AUCKLAND, This Day. Various problems in connection with the city milk supply were discussed at a meeting of the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council last night. The analyst (Mr. L. S. Spackman) said that a serious position had arisen through the amount of milk deficient in fats which was coming on to the town supply in the mornings. He expressed the view that the deficiency was probably due to lack of fertilisers as a result of which the food value of grass had decreased. Reduction of herds to Increase butter-fat would reduce the amount of milk available. The continued low percentage of solids, not fat, indicated a probable decrease in production during the coming months. His recommendation that information contained in the report be conveyed to the Departments for Health and Agriculture was adopted, and the council passed a resolution that the Government be urged to facilitate supply of fertilisers and amend temporarily the incidence of taxation to enable dairy farmers to establish reserve funds exempt from Social Security and income taxes with which to restore normal upkeen and productivity of lands. Give Phosphates Priority Moving the resolution, Mr. J. J. Mulvihill said that as they were unable to spend a normal proportion of incomes on fertiliser and labour, farmers were being placed at a disadvantage by payment of these taxes. If shipping space was the bene of contention, less essential things should be carried on ships to enable carriage of fertiliser so as to increase production for the benefit of the people. The secretary (Mr. N. R. Chapman) said that the milk supply had not increased to anything like the extent normal at this time of the year. Until a few days ago it had been necessary to bring in emergency supplies from a cheese factory. Indications were that insufficient milk would be available tfiis year. The council’s officers would undertake a survey of the position in the near future.