MILK REGULATIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22131, 10 June 1935, Page 12

MILK REGULATIONS

Sir, —I observe Mr. M. P. Walsh'i letter in the Herald of Slay 4, and must say I agree with all his comment* in regard to the price of milk now being paid to producers. The Milk Council ha 3 fixed a comparatively libera! price, liberal that is as compared with the value of farm produce to-day, and the fact that some producers are getting considerably less~than this is due to mis-management of the vendor companies, particularly all those co-opera-tive companies which, absorb producer shareholders with a right to supply their company with milk; these companies now find, themselves with, contracts to purchase far more, milk than they can dispose of. Even with a payment of 6d per gallon at the gate, this is a better price than butter-fat will return. I agree with Mr. Walsh when he says: If these amendments are ever put into operation for the sectional interests mentioned, the whol« of ths trade will be loaded with the cost, and that will mean dearer milk to the consumer etc." In my opinion the 'Milk Council is wrongly constituted in allowing any persons who are financially interested m the result of those regulations to take any part in its deliberations where the>Tesuli affects themselves. I admit that interested parties may form a minority of the council,. Wt their influence is inevitable. The at* tempt of the Milk Council to compel vendor companies to accept milk from sources of supply indicated by the council is unwarranted interference, prevents freedojn of action and enterprisa in purchasing the best quality mils from cleanest and most hygienic dairies. The council has indicated its desire to improve the quality of milk, but its present tactics, if persisted in, mast destroy initiative and enterprise and create a monopoly with the supply coming from a few privileged persons who, provided they supply milk to a mimi* mum standard, have no incentive to improve their quality either in butterfat or in cleanliness. I am fully aware that the Milk Council has done som« very good work, but in the creation new regulations it is making most serious blunders, which the public will hate to pay for. CoxsviiEß'