THE MILK PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 15, 12 October 1918, Page 13

THE MILK PROBLEM

; Solution in sip j.. #IDE POWERS FOR LOCAL ; : ■0 ';.J«-':-''SOWBB.^ S: >'"v^- ■:-:'''".. 1; - '•. . ' ' M; .;' ; (By-"Sylvius;") ; yv ''' :;J 'the regulations, reoently ■: gazetted, giving the Wellington City Council cor?, tain powers, in .connection with the ob-. taining of a; sufficient 'supply of milk forbitizens arid governing lts-distribu-: tiotf constitute a milestono.oii the road to'.eanity" in the acquisition and 'distribution of necessary' food. Economists iavo cried, aloud in tlio wilderness for years without end for the exercise" of something like-common sense in'respect to'the handling-of the most .important of, the necessaries of life—foodr-but the conditions-were such .that- reform was. It .has needed, tho - sting of war to bring about many longdelayed reforms, 'aria it's to the credit of, tho Council that it has taken.a lead in this matter. In "Franco the ; Mayors-bf.niany cities took steps. at the end -of 1914 -.and in .1.015 to municipalise not only the milk supply,' but _ practically everything neces-j eary. to lifer-bread,, groceries, coal, and: irewodd, putting an .early . stop to war? profiteering, -~aud; saving the; people! < measureless.;; ' expenditure over and: above the-peace-time cost of the goods. In Wellington the City Council, ■ through":, the ;; regitlations,. creates for" itself an absolute monopoly of the milk-vending business,.. Tim milk vendors, toiling painfully'in one another's step's up the 'same street, are. to'he dispensed with:in .their competi-' live'capacity.:' Of.'.coiirse, the milk will hive -.to" m .vended,' bub'-tlie i'.irir-' rarigement being-'made: is,, to divide ' the city; into 'blocks' or areaß,'•" each Df- .: ; which ;i -can ; . ;by' a. : man;-'..'(or, ?,Hwb v ''.men . -working from one van) .conveniently. ■ Worktrig to absolute'6o-gallon blocks .inay iiot.bo possible in-a city of th.e : con-' figuration of Wellington, hut'where there is broken-hilly country,-such as nt-.JJorthland,;-'. Wadestown, ■..' Kelbuni,'.' Hataitai,. .BrobklynV ; ' ! and ..Rpsec«ath,' pertain areas- will .-'be: substituted forimore cjearlytdefined 'blocksji and the; re-; suit wi,U"'b'e ...'the"'same: fin .tlio' -eud;:: pnijer the new''order of thing's a, vast' improvement ; islooked;for.:, -; ; :::.--.:- v ~■;■;

'An'AJHEhrtrabihg^

The "Minister ;eflnterMal: L Affair.s J: by'iriotice'iritie Gazette*""may de- ;'! Clare that the regulations apply to airy borough. After the issue of this notice it will be unlawful for any person, whether as principal, ftgent, or otherwise (other tlian' the corporation,of. that borough, if lawfully authorised, aud .its ser: vants or agents)-r;(a).Tp. sell ; niilk; or (b) to deliver milk in pursuanqe of a contract,of. sale made, whether within the-boroiigh' 'or 'else-where-or (c) ts> have milk in his possession, for sale, save under a license issued in that behalf by the council of the borough, and in accordance with; the terms and conditions thereof; •'■' :: \ .

This regulation shows the almost extraordinary .length to,-which' tional Government is prepared, to go tpi Bupport local" Bodies in' their efforts to' purify regulation;! it will be seen, disposes at once of any rights the milk vendor may have thought himself possessed ; of in the past. Yet' he '• is being considered— generously considered—in"" connection with the scheme (which, in the aggregate, he has done his best to defeat). the position of vendors; Mr. 0. B. Norwood, for the Milk Committee, propounded a company scheme, where-, byfthe vendors, (as directors and sharer: holders) would take over, the milk from, the .central clearing-house, and'iinde'itake its delivery on the. new blocking system, the milk to he sold to: them for

cask at a .reasonable rati},. unci,,that for two years they were to bo allowedto:divide amongst themselves the big money that would be realised by the .economics' effected, and also by tho sajo of dairy products from the propsed municipal stations iirtlio country. Tho vendors looked sidoways: at this "soheinc for a long time, as though it wa,'s '.'loaded," but mo'uthsof' steady thought ■■ (accelerated by: the ..regular ■iions)'cohvince'd them that'sKo''s6hemei's not. only practicable, but likely to provide' ample' 'cbmpensatibn for -the businesses tlioy aro. individually c.ompelled to resign. " ;;".v ; '"C>'^".'■';■ Wellington Leads..; -;.'■■' •; ; , "■■Attehtioh.is drawn to the provision '■included- 1 hV-tho regulation" that' such regulations, may, with the consent of the Minister" of'.lnternal ..-Affairs, bo made -to apply to' any borough. J'hnt provision: alone should have a salutary effect v on tho trade vthrouglibiit. the length- and breadth of tho Dominion, or, at.least,. -those in-, tho trade who '''do those things they.-ought not tb-doj" for should repeated offences ■occur-any borough council may applyto tho Minister for-tho protection, of.: the regulations, and assume monopolistic, control of the milk trade, as the Wellington City Council is doing. "■