MILK FOR THE CITY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24217, 7 March 1942, Page 6

MILK FOR THE CITY

With the prolonged dry spell of recent weeks,, with parched grass lands and hillsides plainly visible it is easy to understand that the milk supply:is falling, and that arrangements have had to be made to draw on a wider area for the c.ty's requirements. The position has been met, at least in the meantime, by diverting to town supply the milk that would otherwise go to the factory at Drury. The secretary of the Milk Council said yesterday that the Minister of Agriculture has authorised this. His consent had been given reluctantly, because this factory was on cheese manufacture. It has been suggested by critics that he should not have agreed at all, the allegation being that areas supplying butter factories, nearer to the city, could have provided the necessary milk at a lower cost. The action of diverting supply from a cheese factory needs to be thoroughly justified before it can be accepted as right. It is undoubtedly important, to keep up a full ration" for the city, but it is also important —as the community has beea told |

incessantly—that every possible ounce of cheese should be sent to the people of Britain. Even if it ] had meant going further than Drury, and bringing milk at rather greater cost, cheese supply should not have been drawn on if it was in any way avoidable. Indeed, a lower milk ration for adults would be a small sacrifice if. it meant helping to keep up the cheese output for export. It is not a question of profit, but of reinforcing the war effort where it is most vital. The community—except for its utterly selfish members —will demand to know whether there was any alternative to diverting milk from cheese manufacture to city supply.