CITY MILK SCHEME
SOME LIGnT ON THE POSITION. Reporting to the City Council on Thursday, Councillor C. B. Norwood (chairman of tho Milk Committee) s'tated that the total net debit on the milk account from the outset of tho scheme amounted to i 611,394 17s. Tho capital account was <4331,915, Now that the business of the department was something like ,£250,000, it would not be out of the way if the capital account were .£50,000. From September 11 to September 30 tho net profit was ,£503, and from now on returns would he presented showing the eostß of the various workings, and from tho next meeting a return would bo presented by which councillors would be ablo to notice whether they were losing or gaining from meeting to meeting. When thoy got their first year's trading, the position would then lie shown side by side for each month in comparative tables.
Councillor Norwood stated that the council had been sued for going over the bridges over tho Rimutaka wlijeli wore not calculated to stand tho weigh 1 of the lorries carrying the milk to the city 'from the Wairarapa. As a matter of fact th 3 council had no alternative as the milk had io be brought in, and he regretted that the local body concerned ha<l sought to bring an action against the council. The local bodies should be held responsible for the bridges and roads being in a condition to carry ordinary traffic. Tho council was fined £3 011 each count, which, with cost 6, amounted to iIS 10j. The City Solici'had recommended an appeal against the decision of the Magistrate, and lie agreed with him as ho did not like to see the city fleeced for nmninc over bridges that the local bodies should kpep in repair. It was their duty to see thfit such bridge*. were kept usable for ordinary traffic. Mr. L. M'Kenzie favoured going. on with the anpcal. The uuWp of bridges should bo the liability of the body wliic 1 controlled them. Councillor "ff. H. Bennett pointed out that the action was taken in connection with the Sunday traffic, when, as thero were no trains running, they had to bring Hie milk in by road. The Mayor stated that, the gross debit on account of the milk scheme was ■£15,097. Councillor T. Forsyth complained that the report before the council was obsolete. Ho thought that tho committee might have brought down a half-yearly report to tho end of September. He also complained that the City Treasurer had not been supplied with any of tho figures in connection with the milk scheme. Ho had appealed to him twice and on each occasion he had stated that he had 110 figures. Air. O'Shea (City Solicitor), speaking on the subject of tlia appeal, stated tliat the local body concerned had evaded its responsibility in not keeping the bridges in a state of repair, so 41.3 to carry nil ordinary traflic. The main beams in some ot them were worm-eaten and rotten—one could pick off pieces with one's hands. One of these days one of the bridges would fall <lown, and somebody would bo killed, when the local body concerned would stand an excellent chance of being arraigned on a charge of manslaughter. Councillor J. M. Dale did not think they should lightly enter into a costly appeal action simply because they had been fined. He doubted if the heavy milk lorries would rank as ordinary traffic. What would be their weight? Mr. O'Shea said the weight of a loaded lorry would bo six tons. Councillor M'Kenzie 6aid that some of the lorries being 6old now weighed 3} tons when empty. The Mayor finally moved that an appeal be lodged against tho decision of the Magistrate. On the motion being nut Councillor Dalo voted against it and called for a division. The motion was carried by 10 votes to two. f •>
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 20, 18 October 1919, Page 14
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654CITY MILK SCHEME Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 20, 18 October 1919, Page 14
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