TWO PRICES FOR MILK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18730, 9 June 1924, Page 5

TWO PRICES FOR MILK.

PRODUCER AND CONSUMER.

WIDE MARGIN IN WELLINGTON.

The disparity between/ the price the dairy farmer gets for his milk and the price the public pays is one of the chief concerns of the special inquiry committee now sitting almost daily in Wellington, says the Dominion.

It seems that while , the public was asked to .pay a quart for bottled milk during March, the dairy farmer received 2.58 d for first-grade milk at the farm, and 1.59 d for second-grade milk (which milk is blended with first-grade and sold . a3 such by the municipal milk department). For April 2.49 d a quart was paid for firstgrade and 1.37 d for second-grade milk. The price now charged to consumers is B|d.

Commenting on the matter, Mr. J. M. Bertram, chairman of the Wellington Dairy Farmers' Association, said . that the records for the eight months of the summer period showed that 94.56 per cent, of the supply had been first-grade, 3.08 per cent, secondgrade, and 2.36 per cent, surplus, lie average price paid was 11.32 d per ga 00 for first-grade and 6.90 d for the ante, the return for the whole supplv being 9.93 d, or barely 2£d a quart. Thefaniiers have given a good average quality rmlk in 3.85 per cent, butter-fat test and 97 per cent, of 2|d a quart is low compared with the 7d for six months and B£d For the other months that the consumers have paid.