“BOOTLEGGERS” IN MILK

Otago Witness, Issue 4042, 1 September 1931, Page 9

“BOOTLEGGERS” IN MILK

WELLINGTON CITY’S SUPPLY TROUBLESOME LEGISLATION. WELLINGTON, August 27. Visions of bootleggers in milk working surreptitiously among the suburbs in Wellington were brought before members of the House of Representatives this evening by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr J. G. Coates), who referred satirically to the persistent efforts of the Wellington City Council to round-up the offenders into a network of inspectors, and who complained incidentally that there was not a city in New Zealand so prolific as Wellington in introducing troublesome legislation. “ This is a bootleggers Bill,” Mr Coates said, speaking on the Wellington City Milk Supply Amendment Bill—“ bootleggers in milk.” It was apparently framed, he added, with the object of trapping those who were dealing in milk outside the City Council, and whose total supply approximated 200 gallons. A member: They are highjackers. Mr Coates: No, they are after the bootleggers, but I think the member in charge of the Bill should tel] us something more about it.

Mr P. Fraser (Wellington Central), who had charge of the measure: Do you want me to go into the ethics or the tactics of bootleggers? Mr Coates: No. I believe the hon member is so innocent that such an explanation would involve him in something he does not understand. Mr Fraser: That’s so. v Mr Coates: Why should we have legislation every year about the Wellington milk supply? This seems to give more trouble than any other single item the members-of Parliament have before them The City Council asks the right to pick up the bootleggers anywhere. Air Nash: Do they use dummy carts? Mr Coates: The Wellington city milk supply is not endangered by the 200 gallons coming from sources which the council cannot discover. Mr Fraser: Would you stand for a violation of the law? Mr Coates: It is hampering the small struggling farmer. Mr W J. Polson (Stratford) said this was reducing milk to the category of a noxious drug and placing it on the same basis as liquor in the United States. Mr R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) created considerable mirth in his description of the manner in which milk was brought illicitly into the city. He said the practice could be visualised as the use of motor cars fitted up as vans with dummy milk cans filled with water or stones. When the inspector came in sight, the bootlegging van would be driven away as fast as possible with the inspector after it. The inspector would be left well behind, and in the meantime the real bootlegger would pass in peace. The City Council would require an army of inspectors to stop this practice under the present law. Members should not be too anxious about the innocent farmers. Some of them could teach a few things to members of the House The city was simply asking that it might be possible to stop a van on the road and see that it was not bringing milk into the city in contravention to the law. Mr A. M. Sameul (Thames): Couldn’t they still use dummies? Mr Wright agreed they could, but he said it would be very different if the farmer had to prove his innocence.