MILK COSTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22005, 11 January 1935, Page 13

MILK COSTS

Sir, —Apart from the futility of making comparison of retail prices with any country in the Northern Hemisphere, where conditions are so widely different, your correspondent "Milk" has done a real service by drawing attention to the retail price at present ruling in England. In 1914, milk was delivered in the cites for 3d and 3Jd per quart and during the war was controlled about the same figure. After 1920 the approximate price was 4Jd. Then, in the fullness of time, milk boards were instituted and established a virtual control over the whole country, with the result, if your correspondent's figure is correct, that consumers are now paying double the prewar price, while most other commodities have almost reached pre-war level. Aucklanders should take careful note of this. With regard to wanes paid to roundsmen, it is probably quite safe to assume that a person earning £2 12s in England is better off than the man with £3 12s 6d in New Zealand, owing to difference in cost of living, although comparisons are nearly alwavs odious. Jacobus.

Sir, —I should like to point out to your correspondent "Homie" that it costs less to produce milk in England than here. I have been in the business in London. The cost of land, interest, etc., here, more than offsets the hand feeding which is done at Home. The cows are fed on brewers' grain, which' is bought at a law price, and mangels, which are grown extensively and are a cheap fodder. With regard to "roundsmen," I was employed on a round and had to leave the factory at 4 a.m and get home at 8.30 a.m.; leave again at 10 a.m. on what was called the "pudding round" with skim-milk, arrive back at the factory at 12 noon, leaving again on the afternoon delivery at 2 p.m. When this round was finished I had to return to the factory and have all the cans washed by 5 p.m So, you see, the deliveries are more in London than in Auckland. The Auckland Milk Council has made costs too low. For example, it allows £l3 per annum for "stationery and office expenses," while it costs £ls per annum for telephone alone; so how can it be run other than at a loss, if the rest of the items are on the same basis? Milkie.