THE MILK SUPPLY.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16253, 2 July 1918, Page 6

THE MILK SUPPLY.

DISCUSSION BY CITY COUNCIL. At tho meeting of the Christchurch City Council last night, a clause in the By-Laws Committee's report recommended that the following regulations should bo made, relating to the supply of milk:— (I) '*If_ any person licensed under Part XIV. of the Cliristchurch By-law No. 1 shall change his place of residence or tho promises in which milk is received, stored, or offered for sale within the city, ho shall within seven days after such chance givo notico thereof in writing to tho Town Clerk. (2) In any case where a person holding a license under Part- XIV. of the Christ-church By-law No. 1 shall obtain, regular supplies of milk from producers or vendors other than those named in his application for a license, ho shall within seven days after obtaining such supplies give notico thereof in writing to the Town Clerk, and in such notico shall set out the names and addresses of such producers or vendors." The Mayor said that, apropos of these suggested regulations, ne had noticed that there had been a suggestion made that the pricc of milk should be raised to Gtl a quart; at any rate they seemed to be threatened with that rise in this necessary of life and ho wondered now if the opponents of the block system, could find a roasonablo way out of the difficulty. If the. block system had been adopted he ' thought tho Council would havo had at least some measure of control over- the price of milk. Ho considered that the proposal to r.ibmit the matter to tho Board of Trade with a view to fixing prices was a grod one.

Cr. Sullivan said he believed that the Mayor was in error when he said that the block system would have prevented a rise in the price of milk on tho part of the wholesalers. The Council would only havo had control over the retailers, and that was one of the most prominent defects of the block system. Ab a matter of fact, the retailers wero very adverse to any rise in tho price of milk, and wero against the proposal of tho wholesalers in the matter.

Cr. Nicliolls said that if they knew what rises had taken place in the price of dairi' stock since tho war broke out, 'they would hardlv bo surprised at a rise being asked for by tho producers. A very ordinary dairy cow cost £20 to £22 now. and the price of labour and material had also risen. It must not be forgotten that; the city dairymen paid hiorh rents for their land.

Cr. Ell said if the block system had been instituted the Council would certainly have "trot! a moasuro of control. Quite_ a large quantity of milk was supplied by men who actually milked their own cows, . and who were thus practically wholesalers and retailers also. He believed that there was plenty of milk round about- Christchurch, and if the Railway Department ooulri oplv be approached to run » "milk train" he . believed that ample supplies of milk could bo obtained. It stood to reason that milk could be produced and sold cheaper from tho rural Ifinds than from the expensive dajry farms plqso to the city. He suggested that th e Council should take steps to seo if the yrpposal regarding ,1 special mjlk trpin could not be brought to a practical issue. The report was adopted, without any definite rpsojution feeing arrived at by tho Council.