STATE CONTROL OF MILK

Chronicle (Levin), 24 June 1947, Page 6

STATE CONTROL OF MILK

-Press Association

Auckland Farmers Up In Arms

By Telegraph

AUCKLAND, June 23. The possibility that more than half of Auckland 's milk supply would be vvithheld by New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company producers if the policy of the Central Milk Council, Wellington, favouring publicly controlled treating houses, is pursued, and a declaration that the New Zealand Cooperative Dairy Company "must fight the issue with such weapons as were at its disposal," were revealed in correspondence whieh was received at a meeting of the Auckland Milk Board. The correspondence referred to negotiations between the company and the Central Milk Council con-" eerning plans for the expenditure of about £110,000 on rebnilding and re-equipping the company 's existing milk treatment plant at Epsom. The council had expre'ssed the opinion that the company 's proposed expenditure was not justified and had stated that the decision was reached on the understanding that the seope of the Auckland Milk Treatment Corporation would ultimately be extended to control, in the public interest, the whole of the treatment of milk in the Auckland area. Consequently the time must arise when the existing treating house at Epsom wrould become redundant. The text of nine resolutions unanimously reached at a largely attended meeting of dairy farmers at East Tamaki last week, and an account of the meeting were received by the board from the general manager of the company, Mr. H. W. Davey. The farmers cooperatively own and control Ambury's milk treatment prernises at Epsom. Mr. Davey stated that the company desired to improve and retain its milk treating plant to cooperate with the board and if possible to avoid causing inconvenience to milk consumers. "We should therefore appreciate any assistance which your board can give in resolving the confiict with the Central Milk Council," he contintied. "With due respect, however, I must adcl that the full support of the company will b'e placed behind its group of town milk suppliers, that we must fight the issue with such weapons as are at our disposal, and that appropriate action cannot be postponed." It was decided at the East Tamaki meeting that the resolutions should not be made public hnmcdiately but that they should be forwarded to the chairman of the Auckland board, the local authority liaving control of milk in the city.

The first group of resolutions expressed the farmers' empha+ic protest against the attitude of the Central Milk Council and agreed that everything should be done to oppose either being "squeezed out by being made redundant with a heavy loss, or being taken over ■ by the State." A further group of resolutions asked : — (1) All dairy fa -mers to assikt the group of Auckland milk suppliers in "resisting this first dircct threat by the Goverpment to a dairy farmers' cooperative concern. ' ' (2) All fellow suppliers to the dairy company at present furnishing home separated cream, to refrain "while the fight is cm,' from sending their milk into Auckland through another supply group or to any treating house or vendor. (3) All suppliers of whole milk

in. • ■ 1 [ ■■ ■ ■ ■' srg> to" existing c^ee'se, dried .milk, casein or condensed milk' factories, also to Fefrain from making their milk. ava^lable to Auckland. If the deeia'red policy of 3 the Central milk cSouncil was proceeded with, stated another resolution, the Auckland • authorities represonting the bompany and suppliers were asked "to go carefully nto the possjbility of a suiiable time for the cutting off by suppliers to the company, of milk reqnii'ed for Auckland with the exccplioii of tha,t needed by hospitals and similar institutions. " Additional resolutions asked for the support of the Town Milk Producers' Fcderation and Federated Farmers. It was also suggested that the company shoiild make a public statement of its willingness to provide a full and up-to-date service to the Auckland public at no greater cost tlian that of "the State-controlled Auckland milk treatment corporation. "