THE MILK SHORTAGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 232, 25 June 1920, Page 8

THE MILK SHORTAGE

HOW SUPPLIES ARE ADJUSTED THE FEATHERSTON BLOCK One of the principals in a milk vending company informed a Dominion reporter yesterday that the statement that the milk shortago in Wellington was about 30 per cent, was a little misleading to the public vhen it came to the vending end of the business, ns in many cases the vendors had been forccd to cut down supplies by 60 «mi even (10 per cent., so that every oi:e ci their customers might get ut least some milk. His contention was that ptople who wero ordinarily in receipt of a quart or two could be'cut down, but "the vendors could not very well cut do»'n tlveir one-pint customers, so that, whilst the shortago over tho whole of the city might be 30 per cent., it. was a good deal more in the cases of large consumers.

In a recent <ase before the Court, it was stated that in cne block the people were leaving their jugs and billies out on the front fence line. That, it is now stated, was not quite correct. What had been done in tho Hock referred to was to appeal to tho public to make tile vending of the milk easier nnd more expeditious wherever that was possible, so that all might benefit by n quicker delivery. In most cases the-people had responded in the proner spirit, and had benefited thereby. In one instance tho people did .not meet the vendors, nnd wore consequently sorrod last. Tliey entered a protest at the at Hon of the ven* dors, but were informed that if they had shown a little tolerance they would have benefited, and so would all the others on that particular rouhd. There is nothing new to report as to the Featlierston "Mod." According to the chairman of the City Council's Milk Committee (Mr. W. H. Bennett), the Featherston farmers were actually losing in sending their milk to the factory rtaher than to the city, but as most of them wero "big men" the loss of a p few hundred pounds appeared to bo neither here nor tfcere. But i'.e had heard that the people who milked on shares for the farmers were aware tbft? they were not petting as much'for their labour now as tht>y would if the milk were roiled to the city, and were becoming restive as the result. Many might say, added Mr. Bennett, that the committee ought to concede the increased price, but "hat was only following the lino of Icaßt resistance and would at once complicate the scheme. The west coast farmers who tent their milk to the city had generously agreed to allow the committee to offer the Featherston farmers a penny mon per gallon than they were reewvine. but were the city to concede the full amount, the west coast suppliers could with perfect justice ask for an increase, which would at once rebound on the lifers. Mr. Bennett stated that tho G'.mmittcelmd not been asleep in tho matter. They had pent representatives to the Foxton and Palmerston districts to see if supplies could be secured there, but it had been found that the added cost of transit would make tho price of such milk proAnoth'er leading vendor, who had been a dairy farmer, considered tliat it-was ; only n'matter of time vhen tho Welling ton City Council would be forced to run its own flirts for winter milk, m Mr. j Coleman Phillips had suggested. Otherwise the mid-winter supply problem would become more and more acute, as the farmer had found that lie conld do as well by devofcinj? his attention to milking during the spring, summer, and autumn.