MILK COUNCIL POWERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22444, 13 June 1936, Page 12

MILK COUNCIL POWERS

The Executive Commission of Agriculture has duly reported on the Auckland Milk Council's proposals that it be given increased powers, enabling it, in effect, to control completely the milk supply within its extensive district. The report endorses the demands with a few modifications with which the council has no difficulty in agreeing. The Commission assumes that with its recommendations given effect, ail causes of complaint, and therefore all complaints, will disappear. This they certainly will nojt do. Those who were not convinced beforo that rigid control was either necessary or desirable, in the wider interests of the public, will remain sceptics still. But, as there is no possible chance of the whole artificial system being abolished the Commission says this would be unthinkable —it is perhaps just as well that it should be made into something effective rather than remain the piecemeal and rather futile thing the Commission now declares it to be. The general public, the whole body of consumers, has, with few exceptions, been singularly apathetic throughout. It has never been enthusiastic for control of the milk supply, but has never asserted itself effectively against. It will have no real cause of complaint, therefore, if complete and rigid control, when effected, proves not to be to its taste. There, for all practical purposes, the position has to be left. It is noticeable that in the report of the Commission the interests of the consumer are mentioned less frequently than any other aspect of the various questions reviewed. The main emphasis in this context is laid on the point that an article of absolutely uniform standard will be supplied everywhere. That, no doubt, is important and beneficial, but it has not been proved now, as it was not proved before, that the extensive and complicated machinery of complete control was necessary to bring it about.