MILK BOTTLES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27043, 30 March 1949, Page 3

MILK BOTTLES

SUPPLIES AGAIN LIMITED PROMPT RETURN URGED The laxity of some people in returning empty milk bottles to vendors promptly is again causing grave concern to town milkmen and coupled with this the shortage of new bottles is making the suppliers’ task even more difficult. The co-operation of the majority of customers was all that could be desired, said one vendor to the Daily Times, but there were a number of people who failed to return bottles until quite a stock had accumulated. In fact, said the vendor, the returning of bottles by some customers was very “ patchy.” If the bottles were returned daily a great amount of unnecessary running could be avoided, as vendors have to return to the treating station two or three times a day with small consignments so that sufficient bottles may be available for the next day’s delivery. When bottles were returned in large quantities they were difficult to handle, the vendor said, half the time their vans were nearly empty, while for the rest of the time the vans were over-laden. The importance of returning bottles to the source from which they were obtained was also pointed out. The bottles were the property of the individual vendors, and if returned to the wrong vendor, dairy, or treating station they were almost impossible to trace. Each bottle cost a considerable sum in relation to the nature of the article, the vendor said, and if they were not returned the vendor was faced with a dead loss. Vendors were thankful to the majority of customers who returned bottles promptly and only by their effort was the regular and efficient delivery of bottled milk maintained. “We are not concerned with the customer who forgets once in a while to return bottles,” the vendor said. " What we are concerned with is the customer who regularly fails to return these. The majority of customers are most co-oper-ative and we appreciate their assistance in returning bottles promptly.”