SHORTAGE OF MILK

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 130, 4 June 1919, Page 7

SHORTAGE OF MILK

A SERIOUS POSITION

BLOCK SYSTEM THIS MONTH.

It is not necessary to inform householders in Wellington that there is a distinct shortage of milk. Short deliveries every day for some time past have made this plain. To-day the chairman of the. City Council's Milk Committee (Councillor C. B. Norwood) made the following statement to a Post reporter:—"There has been a ■ serious shortage of milk during the last six or. seven days. The present shortage represents approximately 25 per cent, of Wellington's requirements. ' This is inflamed by the abnormal conditions existing this season, and the position; has been made more acute as the result of very cold weather following on a prolonged dry spell. While information to hand shows that Wellington is not in the worst position among the four centres; the conditions are such as to cause my committee serious anxiety. We are drawing daily a considerable amount oi milk from the' Waira_apa. side of the ranges, but at the present, time- we are threatened to have this cut off on Sunday if the road boards persist in their refusal to allow the council's motor lorries to go over the bridges on the Rimutaka; which are Said to be too weak to carry the loads. If this supply is" cut off it will be a most serious matter for Wellington, and it was for this reason that I moved at the last meeting of the Council to arrange for a conference with the local' bodies interested,, with a view to seeing what could be clone to improve the roads and strengthen-, the bridges. In the meantime we are taking the matter up with the Railway Department to see if some concessions) can be given on the railways in order to cope with the position. ■ _ "At the present time milk is being1 delivered to vendors in exact proportion to, the size of their rounds, 'and they are being asked to supply their customers, pro rata,'on the same principle, so that.no one-will be left entirely without milk. It is hoped that by the 10th inst. the block system -, of delivery will be brought into force, and. 11 the arrangements are completed it will be the vendors' last opportunity of settling matters. Under this scheme a better control will be maintained over the distribution. In the meantime my committee has no reason to believe' that vendors are not delivering milk pro rata to their customers'. "It is hoped that for the remainder of this week there will not be a greater shortage than 15 per cent, daily, but it is by no means certain that we will be able to maintain this supply throughout June and the early part of July., I can only say in conclusion that every drop of available milk raised between We.l-, lington and Wanganui on the one side, and Wellington and Woodville on the other, has been secured for the city. The Milk Committee has done its best.1'