Cartons Mean Less Cream At Same Price

Northern Advocate, 27 September 1949, Page 5

Cartons Mean Less Cream At Same Price

SHORTAGE of cream bottles has reacted unfavourably on Whangarei permit holders. Cartons being used to replace bottles contain only 4oz each, instead of soz contained in each cream bottle.

No .reduction in price is likely, as the price of 7d for 4oz of cream in a carton and soz of cream in a bottle is permitted by the Price Tribunal.

Inquiries this morning showed that the holder of a permit for { pint of cream could now expect to receive only 4oz instead 1 of soz, with no reduction in price despite the loss of loz.

tion to permit holders. The remainder is distributed among the 146 permit holders served by roundsmen working from the authority’s treatment house. Those permits are for varying amounts distributed on varying days. BOTTLE LOSSES HIGH

Recourse to the Price Tribunal would be ineffective as the price of 7d is allowed for both containers.

Apart from the monetary aspect, there seems to be no adjustment for the loss of cream to consumers who. according to permits issued by medical practitioners, need it for their health. A person receiving 1 pint of cream daily therefore will lose a total of 7oz weekly, in effect reducing the total by nearly It days’ supply at a cost of about lOd. 146 PERMITS With an average daily distribution of 4 gal. to 4£ gal. of cream this would appear to indicate a saving of nearly 1 gal. to the Milk Authority at the expense of the consumers—if it was divided into 4 oz. cartons. Some of the cream, however., is delivered in bulk. Five quarts daily go to the Whangarei Hospital. 1 qt to the Health Camp and Jj gals, to dairies which hold permits of customers. while i gal, goes to Portland and one private vendor for distribu-

Inquiries about what would be done with the amount of cream saved by the use of cartons showed that the cream purchased would be reduced to requirements under the new system. Cream bottle losses have been high, as indicated by the fact that cartons have been requisitioned to replace them, and it appeared that savings on bottle losses would, at least to some extent, offset the cost of cartons. No information was available on this point, as the account for the first batch of cartons has not yet been received. Until the bottle shortage is rectified, many people will be paying for less cream at the same cost. Rectification of the position is not hopeful, although no doubt dissatisfied consumers will take up the question with the Milk Authority which, in turn, can be expected to press for manufacturing oi quarter-pint bottles.