MILK PRICES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22030, 9 February 1935, Page 17

MILK PRICES

Sir, —Mr. Hutchison's statement as it appeared in Friday's Herald makes curious reading coming from the chairman of a Milk Council set up to regulate and control the supply and distribution of milk. Mr. Hutchison, after referring to the fact that a large institution had got a contract at 7d although the council's price was fixed at 9d, went on to say: "Then some pools of producers who were supplying cooperative concerns and large firms had complained that their agreements prevented them from getting the council's price, which suggested that the farmers could do with less than the council's price. If they would not go to these vendors and ask for the council's price of 9d instead of the 5Jd they were getting they could not expect the sympathy of the council." Does Mr. Hutchison suggest that we are accepting s}d because we like it better than 9dP If the 9d could be got for the asking, then obviously there would be no need for a council. Is the council nothing more than a price-fixing association 'i If that were all expected of it, then it could be done equally as well, and with less expense, from the Minister's office. The council was established to end the chaos in the milk trade. Its first duty is to bring about economies in the distribution, treatment and transport of milk, without which economies it is impossible to give a fair deal either to consumer or producer. It has been vested with very wide powers, including: "Investigate, devise and initiate as far as may be practicable improved methods of producing, collecting, treating, delivering and distributing milk. . . and it shall be the duty of the council to put into effect as soon as practicable an economic system of consolidation or zoning of rounds." A producer's representative suggested a commission to do the job; but I am-confident that if the consumers' representatives were elected by popular vote we would get a council which would find out why the milk for which the producer receives only ojd per gallon and even less is Jbeing sold in town for 5d per quart. J. S. MO>-tgomebib.