MUNICIPAL MILK! Is it a Far-off Cry ?

Free Lance, Volume VIII, Issue 403, 21 March 1908, Page 6

MUNICIPAL MILK! Is it a Far-off Cry ?

QUESTION. — How much nearer is our municipalised pure milk supply than it was, say, a year ago ? Ah, that's a problem ! Is it any nearer? The Abattoirs Milk Supply, and Public Health Committee at the end of last week laid before the City Council its schemes for dealing with the milk supply of the city, and finished up by deferring the question. The two •schemes submitted by the Committee had resulted in a division even on the Committee itself, so that Councillor Murdoch, the chairman of the Committee, in presenting the report, stated that some favoured the. large scheme, and some the small scheme. • • • Of the two schemes submitted to the Council by the Milk Supply Committee, one would give the Council absolute control of the milk supply of the city, and the other would merely empower the Council to inspect the milk and to control, in some degree, the methods of distribution. The latter scheme is estimated to cost £1050 a year, against which there would be the revenue from the license fees paid for milk shops and carts, and in* many respects its adoption should be of material benefit to consumers. • • • The "absolute co.ntiol" scheme is much more pretentious and costly. The expense of establishing it would bf £31,000, and it would entail, m additirii, an annual expenditure of £34,000. It would involve the erection of a central dep~t, at a total cost, with machinery, of £10,000 and of stables costing £4000, the purchase of sixty horses fifty carts, four electric motorcars, and sixteen hand carts, a thousatits milk cans, and 70,000 bottles — all this, and moie, for prelimmaiv expenses. The office staff mechanical staff, general work, electric power, insurance, etc.. would mop up close on another £40,000 • # • Large as is this annual expenditure, it would apparently be a good investment if the Committee's estimate of the profits of the municipal milk trade could be relied upon. But questions begin to aiise thick and fast around this point It would not be the first instance on record of municipal enterprise and trading placing new and heavj burdens o*n the ratepayers without any compensating benefit. If the City Council ooukl see its way to restrict its work in the milk supply to a system of -thoroughly careful inspection, Wellington would be satisfied. But will the Council do this?

Councillor Murdoch said that "postponjemenb would kill the question. They had been humbugging with it so long that nothing would eventually be done. If the Council' would not deal vut.b it, let them delegate their powers fco some company or companies who would be only too willing to undertake the work." But the Council post.poned it nil right. So away we go again! And our pure milk is like the millemum, coming — but we cannot say wLen it will be here