THE TRICE OF MILK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17843, 26 July 1921, Page 8

THE TRICE OF MILK.

Sir,—ln the letters that iiave' 'appeared on this subject in the Hkrat.,r, froaiv time to time, I have never yet seeii /discussed one factor that has great influence-on the Auckland price. That factor is the class' of country on which .the milk is produced. It is obvious that with an article so perishable as milk only those lands within, say, 20 to 25 miles by rail from the city, can be utilised for production. Now, it so happens that practically all the lauo available for the milk supply of Auckland is "high"' country, as typified by the volcanio areas and the Xaraka. This country, unlike the "low" country, such as Aka_ Aka Swamp and the HauraOd Plains, is not first-class country for milk production by contract, inasmuch as it suffers from insufficient moisture at one period or other in almost every year. A dry spring absolutely spoils the summer's ' growth hereabouts, and a dry autumn leaves the pastures bare throughout the* winter. The dry spells in autumn are perhaps the worst. They send dry those cows that have been in milk some time, arid they make freshly-calved cows yield like;.cows that are just completing a season, for no cow, calving in autumn, will ever yield as much a3 she would calving m spring. This is the reason why the butter supplier brings in his cows in spring. So it is evident that the town supplier, with a twelvemonths contract, must grnw great quantities of fodder crops. And it is just this point about Auckland land—sc fertile when moisture is abundant, yet so bare when moisture is deficient —that makes production so costly under contract conditions, and justifies a high price for milk, more particularly winter milk. The past season may be taken as an example. A splendid spring and summer gave us great returns, a very drv autumn reduced to half their contract supply some who earlier in the season had had a large surplus of milk. Only an exceptionally mild winter saved the city from a very short winter supply, and many farmers from ruin. If the city is to have sufficient milk, the farmer must get more than a bare living out of his business. And a bare living, or existence is what many are working 14 or IS hours a day for at present prices. Yet the price of milk is such to-day that some town dwellers cannot get a fair share of an article that is an absolute necessity, and even the well-to-do must watch their milk bill. It is a position that reflects no credit on the community, for it is the result purely of indifference to waste and inefficiency. Why should a pint of milk be sold three times over before it is consumed ? The farmer sells to the vendor the vendor to the retailer or distributor' the latter finds his customers where he may, in tins street or the next. Are our municipal authorities incapable of initiating an efficient scheme of distribution, as * in Wellington, and are the people of Auckland too lethargic to waken them to what is an urgent duty ? The farmer does not strike or go slow, but he is organising now to see that he gets a fair price for his milk. A wise and prudent policy for townsfolk would be to show him sympathy* and at the same time to see to it that no unnecessary cost is added to the after it leaves his hands. Town* Supply.