SOUTHERN MILK FAMINE

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 151, 14 July 1937, Page 10

SOUTHERN MILK FAMINE

-Frcss Assooiatioa.)

Creanj Supplies Curtailed at Dunedin

(By Tetegraph-

DUNEDIN, Last Night. Wliat are almost famine coxiditions exist in the milk distributing trade at the present time, and there is no prospect of any improvement before the spring season when the main dairy herds return to prolit. Private consumers of one company have had their cream supplies curtailed, the small amount that is offering being reserved for bakers, pastrycooks and others who require cream for the carrying on of their business. It was stated that lt would be at least two or three weeks before the amount of milk necessary for a complete supply of cream would be available. Several smaller distributors have also been compelled to ration their cream deliveries, and some produclrrotailers are flnding it difficult to fill all their orders for either milk or cream. The main cause of the shortage is the phenomenally bad seShon that has been experiouced in the southern districts of Otago this year. Another factor that has contributed to tho p/esent situation is the abandoument of dairying by a considerable numbor of producers who have decided that, under the cxisting regulations with respect to the wages and hours of farm workers, it is unprofitable to produce milk for city consumption. It is suggested by people closely conneeted with the' town- supply that many more dairymen would go out of cows if other prolitabJe branclrcs of production were open to them. The difficulty with many of them has been that they have no alternative but to continue milking for the city trade.