THE MILK PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 236, 30 June 1920, Page 7

THE MILK PROBLEM

WOMEN SUGGEST REMEDIES. , A meeting-of representatives of the various women's societies of Wellington was held to discuss tho milk'shortage and suggest remedies. Mra. Gill, president of the. Wellington Free Kindergarten, presided. - ' ' Dr. Wilkin, Director of the .Medical School (Services, who was asked by Mrs. Gill to speak, touched upon 6ome facts that had been brought to light in I)r. Paterson's Teport of ner inspection visits to the schools. Deformities of some kind or another, particularly chest deformities, were frequent, and she had found as many as 33 out of 58 children deformed. In this connection Dr. Wilkin said .that in the south he had found, taking all •tho standards, and including town and ■ country districts, llk per cent, of the children deformed, that was, one out of every eight. Their deformities did not include curvature Of tho spine nor round shoulder?,, but,.were deformities of the chest and trunk. „ . Practically all these deformities occurred iti children who had bfeen'bottle-fed or'other than breast fed. Dr. Wilkin • told his - hearers that, the Education .Department was aiming l at providing a milk supply from its own farms,for' the children. ; ' .Discussion- followed upon the rationing of the milk supply, and Mrs. Gill told the .meeting that it. had been their custom to give -the children at the kindergarten milk at 11 o'clock every day. How this was to be done when their allowance of milk was reduced' from two quarts to one pint a day 6he did not see. for there were at least forty children •to be supplied out of that one pint. Miss England expressed the opinion that the only way to secure an adequate milk 6upply was to have control of the milk supply, and the only way in which this could ue done was for itlie City Council to establish municipal dairy farms. She had discussed tho matter with Mr. Ward, and thnt had'been his solution. of the difficulty.. . The City. Council was paying more than the fac-' tories for milk, and yet they could not get enough; while factories for dried milk were springing up over the country. These, municipal dairy farms (four were suggested by Mr. Ward) .would cost : at least a quarter of a million pounds, and unless tho City Council were convinced by tho .pressure of public opinion that the people considered their establishment absolutely necessary,. they naturally would hesitate to embark upon such expenditure. What was wanted was a campaign to creato this public opinion. The question was vital to the health of the children arid babies of the community. : For the city, 4500 gallons of milk were needed, and at present they were only getting 2DOO, one-third less. Mrs. J. Tripe expressed the opinion that there was really plenty of milk, but that what was, needed was proper means of transit, and an adequate price to the dairy : fanners to compensate for labour in the winter.

It was pointed out that the City Council paid more than the factories, yet could not get enough,'and it was only by control over the supplies that they could be sure of getting what w-as wanted. Tho unequal rationing of the milk at present was. also brought into the discussion.'

The resolution was put to the meeting and carried that the City Council be askod to' acquire' municipal dairy farms, to ensure proper supplies- of milk for the city.

A second resolution was also passed, and will be forwarded to the Minister of lublic Health :—"That this meeting., of representatives of Wellington women's societies protest against the Government's inaction in allowing milk to be manufactured into dried milk products before sufficient milk is supplied to keep the' people of the Dominion, especially the children in good health, and they domand t'nnt the milk be supplied at a price within the means of all. Another resolution carried was;—" That this meeting, while approving of tho, suggestion or the establishment of 'city hei'ds._rcquest, in view ot' the urgent need or an increasing milk supply, that the council at whatever cost make arrangements for increasing the quantity available during the present winter. ' Much appreciation of tho efforts the City Council were making to secure a good and adequate milk supply for the city was expressed by various speakers.