MUNICIPAL MILK SUPPLY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 68, 14 December 1920, Page 7

MUNICIPAL MILK SUPPLY

MR, JUSTICE STRINGER'S CRITICISM. There was eome discussion of the municipal milk supply Kcliemo in the Arbitration. Court yesterday. When the question tvas raised whether the 3s. cost-of-living bonus should be granted to the employees of tlie distributors under the schemo, Mr. AV. A. Grenfoll (employers* representative; submitted that theru were special reasons for which it'should not. The milk was wild to the corporation at a fixed rate, and the bonus could not be passed on. - His Honour: This Wellington milk supply seems to bo a most extraordinary arrangement. I had brought under my notice qnito recently the ca6e"of two young returned soldiers who were assisted by the Government to go into a' dairy farm in tho vicinity of the city, and who find now that under tho arrnngomeiits made for tho-supply of millc they cannot get the market price of their milk. They are practically unable to pav their way. I don't understand it at. all. They aro coinpollcd to supply the cqrporation at a certain price, though they could get a very much higher price from the private consumer/ They cannot pay the Government the interest on the monay they paid to get into tbo farm. Mr. J. Read (employees' representative in the case): Then thoy paid too much for tho farm. • .

His Honour: No. Tf they wore en abled to tako the prico they could get for thoir-milk, they could' pay their way quite well. The. corporation limits their private sale to 30 gallons. The rest of the supply they have to hand mer to the municipality. That is the effect of the Act, I understand. 1 quite agree that the 'municipality should take the necessary steps to seo that no milk is supplied to the consumer unless it is pure and wholesome, but it seems rather absurd to interfere with them, and' not let them get the best prico thov can. Mr. Read submitted that'there was no reason for which the workers should not receive the bonus.. Decision was reserved.