MILK CLEARING-HOUSE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3163, 15 August 1917, Page 7

MILK CLEARING-HOUSE

, TEMPORARY STRUCTURE ADVOCATED DAIRY FARMERS WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE TO COST An important conferencc between. the ! wr , ( J }{ J '■ J- l - Luke) iiwl tho direc- , P'thu Wellington Dairy Fanners' ; -Afisodiition, which cast now light 011 dark ... nl | 13 . , ot . 'he city milk supply question, nfi-or "U ho 'rooni yesterday rnm i l ', G Association was loprcsentod by Jtessra. W. Strand, .1. |J lutcman, \\'. Brown, S. Boivler, and m c), Vj "' (1 ( s °crotaiy). linn""' M, 1 "!; speaking for; the .issociasnli' i B, -m } n ' le J* ' laf ' come (o conimnJ, 1S W ? rsl »p on a question of great importance to them, and that was Hie procmili i a temporary pjlace where thev 1,, I V lav ti tllßn ' milk cleared. They had , r ?"Sh experience lately,and hoi — • es ,| ''! ' ,ee n imposed, but jjot too f.iiV.Vl'-rV" opinion in cases where • y .-V <l , l)een but they as uihln t. S *i '° avC ns soon iIS +-K C J m ® p l ce a temporary characrthat would serve for a clearing-bouse and for inspection. Thev were aware tfl.it there must necessarily be some delay in getting tho big scheme going-it nl , a matter of eighteen months n,„;°i " U - Sl,cl ! wero ihe conditions in _„»' r ., u ? w^ s that they were prepared to L'„ ■ their pockets and elp it ihc Cily Council would assist them m the matter. There had been ■ill sorts of imputations in tho past that the dairy fanners were lo blame for much ot the mnk adulteration that wont 01 V. anc J, or that reatson they had "been asking for years for a clearing-house find inspection. He could say that whilst there had been prosecutions for milk which -bad been examined on railway pjatiorms, they were few compared with those which had taken place as the result of action after tho milk' reached I? W i n li , samo he admitted that there won,ld always bo dairv farmers WII9 adulterated their milk.,ami the association was desirous of preventing that just as much as were the public. All ™ ntef ! 1 ' w *s the co-operation of the Ony Council to provide a temporary clearing-house, which, to them, would, .mean a big help in their business. Delay Unavoidable, „, The l il°yor said (bat lie . and Jlr. btiand had been all over (he town trying to nnd a suitable building in a convenient position which might be economically converted into a clearing-house, but had tailed, there certainly would be del;jy in making the big scheme operative. Tho Government would not allow them to float the loan of .645,000 before it had put its new warloan before the public, so it was really for the Government to say when they couild act. Tho appointment of manager had been made, but whether Ins or Jlr. Ward's scheme was finally approved, littlo could bo dono until tlio money was secured. They might put t;p a part of the main building, with the approval of the council, but the installation of the expensive machinery would have to wait until .tho money was available. 110 had no idea wliero a temporary site of a satisfactory nature ciuld bo see tired.. .

Ta Aro Railway Platform as a ClearingHouse. Mr. Strand made the suggestion thlit, the covered platform at the west end of tho Te Aro railway station might be secured for tho purpose. The stutioii was now out'of use and Ijoarded up, but there was a considerable area on the city side that was roofed in, and if it could be boarded in, it would meet the case admirably. Mr. E. H. Hiley (General Manager, of Eailways) l had promised to the farmers in any way possible, and the speaker suggested that he might be consulted, preferably by tho Mayor, who had .the whole city at the back ot' him. The platform .was floored with asphalt, and was dock-high; indeed, it was there that a great deal of Wellington s milk used to be handled. The City Engineer (Mr. W. H. Morton) stated that; lie would iiuvc to inspect tho structure before expressing an opinion. In any case, provision would have to be lliado for drainage, but in that regard there wore drains near by in Wakcfleld Street.

The Major asked Mr. 1 Strand lion' much the association was prepared to contribute towards the project, if it were made possible. Something Definite. Jir. Strand said that they wore piepared to pay JJ2OO, which he considered a good round sum. Ho further stated at that juncture that there had been a good deal of talk in the papers about the. farmers holding tho pistol at the city's head, and he wished to say that it was not correct. They wished the city to get all tho milk it required in September, and had already made arrangements ;,with one dairy factory ;md were to sec the management .'of another to that end. All they were asking wiis that they should bo paid ''cheese prices'' for their milk, plus freight and cartage. No ono could say. that was unreasonable. Filially.' it was arranged that the directors should como to town again tomorrow nioruiiig, and Kith tho J'uyor wail on Mr. Hilcy aud put the proposition before him, and also inspect the To Aro railway station premises, it was made dear by Mr. Strand that only the . roofed-in plattorm would be required, not the station building itself. An inquiry was made .subsequently as to what the "cliceso'- price" for inillc woulsl be next month (all cheese having been commandeered by the Government). It appears that the pTicc. has not .been h.\'ed yet by tho Government, but tho fanners anticipate an increase r.n last year's September pricc, which was 9Jd. per gallon.