THE MILK PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 303, 11 September 1918, Page 6

THE MILK PROBLEM

SCHEME OF SUPPLY IN GREAT BRITAIN AN IMPORTANT REPORT Through the courtesy of Sir James Allen, Acting-Primo Minister, the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke, C.M.G.) has received a copy of the report of the committee on production and distribution of milk presented to the Foqd Controller in Great Britain. The schemo proposed by the committee is oE considerable importance, and also of great interest to Wellington at the present juncture. Tho report reads as follows :— (1) Tho objects to be aimed at are the maintenance of the milk _ supply, the economical handling of milk, its equitable distribution, and the full utilisation of surplus supplies for manufacturing purposes. (2) For the purpose of controlling tho distribution of milk Great Britain should bo divided into suitable areas. (3) Milk superintendents should be appointed in each area to take charge of tho local distribution of milk { and act under the instructions of the Central authority in London, with a separate advisory committee for Scotland, meeting in Edinburgh, and under the. Central Authority in London. They should have access to the-statistics and information in the Live Stock Commissioner's possession. . (4) A National Milk Clearing House should be set up in London, which should control the wholesale milk trade of the country, and employ persons, firms, and societies, who are licensed to deal in"-milk by wholesale as authorised wholesale milk agents, as far as is necessary. " (5) The clearing houses * should take over existing contracts between wholesalers and but would interfere as little as possible with direct contracts between producers and retailers. Such contracts should, however, be subject to supervision and the approval olf tho milk superintendent for the area in which the retailer may be situated. (6) All milk churns in possession of wholosale dealers other than rot-ail delivery churns would be taken over and become the property of tho clearing house. .(7) Manufacturers whose primary business is tho manufacture of milk products would be authorised to act as wholesale agents of the clearing house, and would ho required to manufacture dried milk, cheeso, or other products on account of and in accordance with tiic instruction of the clearing house. 'S) In the organisation of the wholesale trade during -the war the power of wi-ok'F.ile traders may bo strengthened, or in some cases disorganised for the period after the war. It is therefore recdmineuded that in constituting traders' agents of tho Ministry of Foid, the Government should .it once obt.vin an option to purchase the business of such tralors at a fair valuation to lie arrived <.t by negotiation or by arbitr'atiml. as experience may show the absolute necessity of the State becoming th,c sole wholesaler of milk, a development which this committee thinks dc- , Birable. ,(9) It should be tho policy of tho clearing houso to encourage producers to form themselves into co-operative associations :for the purpose of improving the conditions of milk production and for the manufacture of cheese. (10) It is recognised that milk should be produced_ and supplied under iinprcved conditions, so that it may bo more 'clean and wholesomo when it reaches the 4 consumor. Any improvements' that? can be effected by grading or otherwise, should'be mado in such a way as to anticipate the linos of future requirements. All the abovo clauses were agreed to unanimously except the most important one —clause B—suggestingß—suggesting State control.

THE WELLINGTON SCHEME

There -is nothing material to report regarding tho City Council's scheme to supply Wellington with milk. Councillor C.J3. Norwood (chairman,of the Milk Committee) lias visited the dairy farmers of Makara. The ' difficulty with the dairy farmers there, as_ elsewhere", is the keeping up of supplies in the winter time, when special winter (feed has to bo provided for the cof s in milk. On the whole the farmers accepted tho City Council's scheme as one designed to ameliorate the present unsatisfactory conditions, and gave tlfb impression that they would later on do all in their power to assist •Householders are warned to send in thoir cards at once to the Town Hall It is known that some milkmen have advised people not to'fill in and forward the cards, in the hope that such neglect will impede the authorities in putting their scheme into operation. It should 'be clearly understood that tlie only people likely to be inconvenienced at that time will be those who have failed to send in their cards, for no one will be allowed to vend milk outside the City Council's scheme.