ZONING OF MILK

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21218, 14 September 1940, Page 6

ZONING OF MILK

SCHEME IN HAMILTON PLANS NEARLY COMPLETED OPERATION ON OCTOBER 1 a Plans for the zoning of milk deliveries in Hamilton are nearly complete and it is hoped that the new schedule will be in operation on October 1. A comprehensive scheme has been evolved by a committe of the Hamilton Milk Vendors’ Association, under the chairmanship of Mr A. J. Gallichan. This scheme will be submitted to a meeting of all members of the Association next week. It will then have to be approved by the Oil Fuel Controller. Explaining the scheme Mr Gallichan said to-day that the areas apportioned to each vendor could not yet be released as there might be some alterations, but the principle that had been worked on was to apportion zones to vendors as near to their own bases as possible. This had worked out very satisfactorily and the consumers generally would not have as many alterations as what was at first thought likely. All milkmen in Hamilton would be under the scheme. On preliminary investigation the committee found that a reduction of easily 40 per cent, in the total benzine consumption of milk vendors would result. Early Delivery There would definitely be no overlapping, said Mr Gallichan. When the scheme came into force there would be only one milkman in any one street. He pointed out that the total consumption of milk among the

homes in Hamilton was between 1200 and 1300 gallons a day, this excluding schools, the railway station and the like. The 24 milk vendors would be allocated between 50 and 60 gallons of milk a day each and thi* should ensure an early delivery to all homes. “In cases where milkmen from one side of the river have been accustomed to cross the river, or where they have been accustomed to delivering well out of their home areas, the consumers will have to change their milkmen,” said Mr Gallichan. “I honestly do not think that this will cause any great hardship and it should not create any concern. The quality of milk delivered in Hamilton is uniformly high. Provision for Arbitration “If consumers have complaints to make we have two arbiters, Mr R. McCaw, representing the Hamilton Borough Council, and Mr C. W. Pepperell, representing the Chamber ot Commerce. Complaints will be refered to them if a satisfactory solution cannot be found.” There should be no difficulty about the standard of milk being maintained, added Mr Gallichan, who said he would like to refer to a suggestion made that with a guaranteed ! number of customers in one area the lack of competition might tend to lower the standard of the product. If any customer were not satisfied with the standard of the milk a complaint had only to be made to the Health Department and a request made for the milk to be tested. This was sufficient guarantee for the standard of the milk that would be delivered.