WELLINGTON MILK SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20641, 13 August 1930, Page 7

WELLINGTON MILK SUPPLY.

CITY'S RIGHT OF INSPECTION. FARMERS VOICE OBJECTION, ' [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The right of inspection given to officers appointed .by the Wellington City Council under the Wellington City Milk Supply Act, 1919, and the amending Act of 1926, was warmly criticised by Mr.' J.. Purchase, president of the Wellington jSubuiban Farmers' Association, at a mefeting of that body to-day. It was decided to form ..., a deputation to place grievances of the association before the Prime Minister, r. and to urge that a bill now before' Parliament be given favourable consideration. > The bill, said Mrt! Purchase, had been read a first time and referred to a SelectCommittee. Its object was precisely what the association had been working for for many years, inspection by an impartial authority, the Health Department, instead of. by the City Council, '-the- farmers' strongest competitor. Recently matters had reached •a climax, continued Mr, Purchase.-.Three*..farmers had been prosecuted for bringing milk in " over the border," and in one case decision had been reserved. So far as tho other two men were concerned, he thought there were very few members of the asso ciation who were, not forced to buy milk in such a way at some timo- or other, outside the confines of the Act.

To moot their legitimate requirements, the City Council was allowed by statute to scour tlio country for its supplies, while tho farmers wcro barred from doing their ordinary legitimate business unless they became agents of the council and .bought) milk from it, for which they could not- reccivo .is much as they paid. 'la the case of small quantities particularly the farther was bound to bo tho loser. Mr. Purchase pointed out that under the Act the council had power to cancel a licence where breaches had been committed. Tho consensus of opinion of the meeting was that buying from a sourco other than' the council was quite justified, provided it was not done with a view to cutting prices. V"~.