FREE MILK

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 106, 21 May 1937, Page 3

FREE MILK

-Preee A««oeiation.>

Progress Report on Scheme for Schools MINISTER'S REVIEW

Bt TeleerraDh-

7 WELLINGTON, Last Night Under the Government'a scheme for the free distributiou of milk to school children, one-fourth of the school population of the Dominion is now receiving a daily allowance of half a pint of milk. In making the announcement to-day, the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) said that it was hoped within the next two months to provide for an additional. 18,450, bringing the total to approximately 90,000. The figures making up the above total were as follows: — Children. Wellington City and Johnsonville •• 14,000 Auckland Metropolitan Area (including North Shore), Papatoetoe, and Otahuhu 80,000 Christchurch City, New Brighton, Sumner, Riccarton, ! Heathcote, Halswell, Papa- ■ rua, and Waimarie . . . . 16,000 (Dunedin City and environs, including area from Port I j Chalmers on the one side to Mosgiel on the other .. 10,000 Whangarei Borough 1,200 Invercargill • • 350 The Invercargill scheme is not yet fully developed, and the above number represents the scope of the scheme formerly being carried on by the Rotary Club. The foregoing figures refer to the schemes in ^operation. Those expected to function shortly are as follows:— Children. Hamilton •• •• •• •• • • • • 2,400 Tokaanu •• .. .. «. •• 150 Gisborne ... .. .. .. . . •• 1,800 ! Wanganui * •• .... 2.800 ! Hutt Valley and Eastbourne 6,400 \ Westport .. .. .. •• 800; Lyttelton • • • • • • • • 500 . Timaru .. •• #. 2,400 Oamaru •• •• 1,200 * ' Throughout the country , there has fbeen generally expressed a kden desire ito participate in the scheme and local committees have everywhere offered itheir co-operation," said the Minister. * ' There - are difficulties, however, ih making the supply of milk gener§lly javailable. In some districts there -s no suitable supply • owing to the ; absence of dairy herds. In other places where there are herds it has been the custom ifor the factories to close down for about three months in the winter and farmers have arranged the rotation of their herds accordingly. Under these circumstances it will not be possible to do anything during the present winter. «'I have been surprised to learn that in at least one case in a town of considerable size already about one-third of the population is using condensed milk owing to shortage of supplies of fresh milk. In other places the normal requirements of the population leave no surplus to enable the distribution to extend to the schools. However, all these problems will be overcome in due nourse. 1 " Wherever possible efforts are being made to concentrate production and treatment at central points in order to re'dUco the proportionate overhead costs involved in the pro vision of pftsteurising and bottling plants. To contemplate the provision of such plant andv machinery in small places means the expenditure of an amount of capital that would hardly be justified on the volume of milk to be treated. In view of the facilities for rapid and easy transport that are at present available distribution from central points appear to offer the best solution. In more isolatpd districts where no milk will be available and transport problems preclude distribution from a central point, it is quite a possibility that an alternate scheme providing for the use of dried whole milk or ' malted milk in suitable proportions will be made available. The dietetic aspects of this qu'estion are at present being investigated."