MILS SUPPLY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11207, 13 October 1914, Page 8

MILS SUPPLY.

LOCAL- BILL IN PARLIAMENT. . NO MONOPOLY FOR CITY. INSPECTING STATIONS APPROVED. Tho City Council's Local Bill to provide a puro milk supply and secure city fish markets is having a fairly •mod passage in Parliament, and Mr H. U. Ell. in a letter to tho City Council last night, stated that although clause 8 had" been opposed, tho other proposals had been agreed to in committee, but the Bill required redrafting. Although tho measure had been cut down, it was still a big advance on anything previously conceded to a local body. The Wellington City Council had given evidence lieforo tho Parliamentary Committee, that it wished to establish milk stations for inspecting the milk, but Wellington proposed to raise its loan by special order, to avoid tho expense of a polh A letter was read from the clerk to the committee, asking the Council to redraft the Bill to provide that the Council should have power to compel all milk for consumption to pass through milk stations, and should also have tho sole right to establish fish markets where fish might bo sold by afiction, provided that compensation was paid to any wholesale fishmonger whose business might be affected. Tho* clause struck out proposed to give tho Council power to undertake the distribution and sale ot milk either by its own employees or by contract, and to prohibit the sale of milk by private persons. Tho Mayor said that he had considered tho correspondence, but the deletion of clause 8 cut out the "eyes and brains" of the Bill, and as the expense of redrafting the Bill was imposed on the Council he did not +hmk that it should be persevered with. The town clerk said that the necessary amendments had been drawn. r ihe compensation proviso in regard to fish markets might mean a big claim on tho Council for goodwill, ftnd the cttv solicitor to overcome this had" drawn an alternative clause permitting any wholesale fishmonger or auctioneer to remain in business. Councillor H. Hunter suggested that the Council should go on with the Bill, asking: for a portion of clause 8 to give it power to compete with thepresent distributors. It savoured of bureaucracy for the Government to denv the Council this right. He thought that it would pay tho present milkmen to sell a'l tlieir_ milk to the Counc'l and spend the time ■at home that thev now spent in overlapping. Councillor F. Burgoyno seconded Councillor Hunter's proposal, hut opposed anv compensation. Tho Mayor said that the inspecting stations would increase the cost of the milk until it was prohibitive to the working man. He did not think that much was to be hoped for in a dying Parliament, and it was a waste of time to go on with the Bill. Councillor H. 8., Sorensen said that his idea of tho mjlk supply was that the Council should buy the milk from suppliers, and send it out pure, as was done in Copenhagen, and without 1 clause 8 the Bill was useless. It was j futile to go into competition with the fishmongers, and as for paying them compensation, why not pay publicans compensation ? . Councillor J. R. Hayward said that the loss of the clause did not kill the Bill. He did not wonder at Parliament refusing a monopoly of the sale of milk, but the Bill gave power to do almost anything else._ He saw i 0 danger of being robbed in the matter of compensation in the matter of fish markets. The Council should get what it could. The Bill gave the Council power to test every gallon <f milk sold in the city, and tfhat more did tbo Council +hnn a pure supply? As it was, the Council could make its own bargain with the milk 6ur>r>ltPrs after th" T'«l was pns.Wl. Councillor J. M'Cullough urged that the Council should strive to secure the monopoly. It was too late in the day to tnlk of corrnvncqtiort ir> th** m°t+or of pure food supply, and the proposal was an utt'>r absurdity. Twenty years ago Melbourne had taken over the fish supply, without a penny of compensation. , Councillor Hunter's proposal was carried on the voices. It'was dpcided to send a representative to Wellington to cjve further evidence before the Committee.