THE CITY'S MILK

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3068, 2 May 1917, Page 6

THE CITY'S MILK

AND ITS DELIVERY

DAY-OLD MILK FOR BREAKFAST

THE SUNDAY PROBLEM

Something revolutionary in respect to tho distribution of milk is about to occur as the result of a combination of circumstances which may he summed up in one'-word—war. , For as long as any of us can remember tho milkman has been the earliest. bird about, hut he is now going to work only in tho hours common to all trades, and quit, for a time at least, giving his "Milk-0" as.the first call to main- who have to be stirring betimes. To come home "with the milk" is one of the oldest comic-son'e jokes, which will jiow lose some, of its significance, for tlio' AVellinctnn Milk Vendors' Association have an advertisement in this issue saving that on and after Mondnv next deliveries of milk will only be made between the hours of 8 a.m. and ■" p.m. on ■week rlays, with tho exception of Sundays, when, it is stated (and this is important , ) "the usual deliverv will take place durine such time 'that;-sup-plies are brought into the. city at the expense of tho City Council or the Dairy Farmers' Association." Aii explanation was «nii"lit. Afr.. A. ■Petherick, secretary of tl"> Milk Vendors' Association, states that the der-i----sinn ari-ivpd at was tli" result of tho culmination of several of circumstances. The restricted train services was one, but the, chief reason iri" owintr to the shortage of men caused bv the war.

The Vendors' Position. "It has always been difficult." said' Mr. Pctherick, "to get suitable men who are prepared to turn- out between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., particularly in winter, to repair to the dairy or depot,' and'there get ready their supplies to he delivered between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Now , that there is such a marked shortage it has become- almost a matter of impossibility, so it has come down to a • delivery in the • ordinary working hours." And what will it mean to the public? - ."It will mean," said Mr. Petheriek, "that the public will get its milk after breakfast, instead of before." And!what about Sunday's milk? :• "Can't say," said Mr. Petheriek. ' You see- at present there arc no milk trains on Sunday. Wo will deliver it if an arrangement is come to with the Dairy Farmers' Association or the City Council, or both together, to bring the milk to town, but ivo cannot go to any expense to bring it -to town , at the present price of milk." What are you getting?, "Fivepence halfpenny per quart, whilst the farmer is getting Is. OJd. a gallon. To bring milk iiito' town by any other means than the railway is an expensive matter. A motor wagon would probably bring in .between 600 and 600 gallons, according to its size, and it would cost, between £7 and £8 to bring it into "town, say, from Featherston, over tho Rimutakas, and probably about the same from Ota'lti (over the Paekakariki Hill). That means another 3d. or.4d. a gallon. We cannot pay it, as our selling price has been fixed by tho Board of Trade at 5Jd. per quart, so somebody else will have to pay or there will t be no Sunday milk for. Wellington."

Feeling the War Pinch. The milk business looks like being the ono that is going to give householders their first pinch of. war conditions. At the present time the milk that is being delivered from door to door in the early hours of the morning is, generally speaking, the previous evening's milk, and the night milt is that which has coine.in during the day, and is—or ought to morning's milk, so that the position to,be faced now is that people for their breakfast will have not tho previous evening's milk, but the previous morning's. Perhaps the trouble will right itself when the war ends, but at present it iiiay cause a little domestic dislocation. As to Sunday's milk, and the cost to' get it' to town, it is understood that a City Council Committee has had the matter under consideration, and that negotiations with the Dairy Farmers', Association have taken place, with a view to making .some satisfactory arrangement that will relieve. {lie situation. On a recent occasion the milk (during the dry season) was suddenly cut oft from one district," and an arrangement was made to get it fro*m another by motor wagon, the cost ot which was contributed to by the city.