"SWAMPED WITH MILK."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20288, 22 June 1929, Page 15

"SWAMPED WITH MILK."

AUCKLAND OVER-SUPPLIED^

COMPLAINT BY PRODUCERS, j

MUNICIPAL CONTROL WANTED, *

" The city is practically swamped witH milk and the returns to producers supplying Auckland over the past year were the lowest for a decade," said Mr. H. C. Bull, president of the Auckland Whole Milk Producers' Association, at the annual meeting yesterday. Addressing members, Mr. Bull expressed regret that his report for the year could not be otherwise than unsatisfactory, and next year's prospects appeared no brighter. The situation was the result of a combination of. events. The old system of co-operating with milk vendors in the fixation of prices had broken down during the year to the disadvantage of producers' supplying the city.. Two representatives of the association had investigated conditions in Wellington and upon their return had gone into the question of forming si company to take over the milk vending concerns of Auckland, but nothing had resulted. No better success had attended a scheme to control milk supplies by the formation ox a co-opera-tive association of suburban dairy farmers. Loss at Present Prices. " It would pay farmers better to erect factories and turn their milk into butter and cheese rather than accept the low town prices of last year," said Mr. Bull. " The extra costs of milking through the winter, with extra feeding, the deteriora-. tion of land which results from its use in wet weather and the loss of pigs and calves, cause a loss at the present price of town supply." The only relief he envisioned was that some of the daiiy farmers now supplying the city might, to their own advantage, turn over to factory supply, thus reducing the surplus reaching the city, which was " swamped with milk."

The construction of concrete roads had in recent years greatly widened the area of city supply, and whereas the bulk used to be drawn from within a radius of 10 miles, it was now brought a distance of 20 miles and more at very little addi-, tional cost. This placed the dairy, farmer nearer town at a distinct disadvantage, since his land was worth, perr haps, £IOO an acre, compared with a valuation of Sfl,o to £SO an acre on farms further out. The farmer nearest the city, therefore, was paying two or three times as much in -taxation as his more distant competitors. There should be little difference in the valuation of properties near a concrete traffic road except in cases where the land had a distinct suburban building value. The Cost of Distribution. Another important factor in Auckland was the high cost of distribution. The average distribution of a roundsman in Wellington under municipal control. o£ milk supply was 70 gallons, whereas in Auckland it was only aibout 32 gallons. The result was that (he Wellington fanner received a better return and the public had cheaper milk. The existing wasteful system in Auckland benefited neither producer nor consumer, and the new Auckland City Council could inaugurate the Wellington system with advantage. The annual report and the balancesheet, which showed a credit of £3O, were adopted. Mr. W. H. MadiU said that the points raised by the chairman interested the public of Auckland just as much as they did the suburban dairy farmers, The election of officers resulted:—President, Mr. H. C. Bull; vice-president, Mr. G. F. Williams; committee, Messrs.F. W. Whvte, A. J. Grove, E. Hill, W.. H. Madill, W.,W. Massey, A. E. Dewar, A. W. Hall, M.P., A. Atkinson, G. Welch and G. Cox. The meeting discussed ways and means of endeavouring to improve the position of producers in the coming year of the association. : >