MILK SHORTAGE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24898, 11 June 1946, Page 2

MILK SHORTAGE

Sir,—ln ap interview on the cause of a shortage in the milk supply, both in Christchurch and Auckland, Mr M. E. Lyons is misleading the people, The shortage has been deliberately caused in the interest of and on similar line? ip both towns by power control over producers and consumers. To blame the Government’s refusal to grant subsidies on heifers is only childish. A milk shortage definitely suits the milk scheme, because there is less to draw from the so-called subsidy pool. This is proved by the fact that a large portion of the city sup* ply is carried on for eight months of the year by classified surplus milk. Mr Lyons should make urgent contact with the farmers’ delegation touring England at the present time and instruct it to uge it? influence to have: New Zealand placed on- the faming belt as far as milk, cream, eggs, bacon and wheat are concerned—Yours, etc., H, BLISS. June 6, 1946.

[“Only to the extent that Mr Blissis deliberately distorting my remarks am I interested in his letter,” said Mr M. E. Lyons, chairman of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Beard, when this letter was referred to him. “As one of the means of alleviating the shortage J, supported by my producer colleagues on the Central Milk Council, advocated a year ago that a scheme should be evolved whereby some thousands of the good heifer calves then going into bobby pools should be saved and made available to town suppliers. A visit to Addington or any other saleyards when autumn calvers are being sold will demonstrate that there is a shortage of such animals. In looking ahead in thia way, I and my producer colleagues were thinking of the winter of 1948 onward. The rest of the correspondent’s letter is on a par with the sage contributions he has made to the subject in the last 35 years.’ 1 ]