WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 July 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

I'N EMPLOYMENT. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON. July l(i The cry of the unemployed Inis not heen heard in Wellington, Imt that is no reason for assuming tliut the uiicuiployincML prohlem <(oes not exist. We- have our unemployed, but the nuniher is not large enough to cause an impression or to necessitate special measures as appears to he the case in Dunedin. More public works are being undertaken in and around the district, the City Council being particularly active itt-l now. The debt of the City is beginning to impress the ratepayers more especially as the rates are increasing. ’I he trading conditions in the fit v are not very brilliant, and business is what the retailers would call quirt, but this i|iiietness is not conlined to Wellington, but apparently covers the whole of New Zealand, at least that appears to lie the case judging from the quarterly banking averages recently published. According to scute authorities the fact that the current account balances have not expanded in twelve months is tin indication of dullness in trade, and that the note circulation has contracted is taken as evidence that the people lack the spending power. Whether this is the

correct view of tin* situation it is hard to say, but when one remembers that the country is importing, on an average, fifty motor vehicles per day it dees not seem right to suggest that spending has slackened. WELLINGTON'S MILK PROBLEM.

The question of Wellington’s milksupply has been a burning one over since the City Council secured the monopoly of supplying the people with milk. Tim Council's (irsl grip on the milk vending business was obtained under the war regulations ol I'JIS. The Council grouped the vendors into four blocks, and issued a license lor each

group to vend milk in an allotted block. The Council fixed the retail price and allowed the vendors a halfpenny per quai l. as compensation for their loss of goodwill. Subsequently tlie Council secured legislative authority to itself to do the vending. Parliament, however, reserved the right to the .small farmers, or nearby farmers as they are termed, to continue supplying the citizens with mill-., hut such vendors were restricted to distributing III) gallons a tiny each. Iho City Council holds a practical monopul v of the milk business. 'I he ( ottncil 'officers made elaborate plans, and laid down pasteurising plant, procured glass bottles in which to deliver the milk, had built a licet of milk-lloats, and spent money freely, and it is to be feared extravagantly. Ihe ( ity authorities in seeking this monopoly failed to recognise that they were placing themselves at the mercy ol the suppliers. The latter soon formed an association and thus placed themselves in a position to dictate the prices the Council should pay for its milk, lo make a long story short the people are now paying Sfd per quart for tlieii milk cash at the door, while the high-

est price paid lor milk prior to the City Council's monopoly was id per quart with at least a week s credit. Now it must be said that the Council's milk is good and pure, but many people do not like it and sick persons avoid it. The public hospital is not served with the City's milk. Many mere people would take the fresh mill: |rum the nearby farmers il they could get it. and the latter are now endeavouring to have the Council’s monopoly amended so as to allow the neniby farmers to vend as much milk as thev can secure, and in this they have the support of hundreds who prefer fresh milk to pasteurised milk. >» any event a monopoly whether the privilege of a local body or a private company is a menace to the people and should not be tolerated. The Wellington City Council's milk business furnishes an awful example to other councils and boroughs. TRAFFIC CONTROL. Trallic control in the city ol Wellington has been a fearful and vvonderI'ufthing. It has ontrul in name only, and almost at any hour ol the day in any street, violations of the ordinary rules of irallic may be witnessed. It is not an uncommon thing to see motor cars turning round in a narrow thoroughfare like W illi< Street during the busy hours of the day. Hounding corners, recklessly rushing past standing tramenrs and speeding to overtake and pass other cars are conumm occurrences in busy streets, while in suburban thoroughfa res speeding is the rule and dazzling lights are much too Iroquelitly e.\bihited. The City Council is trying lo improve matters and hits entered into now arrangements with the Police Department and ait experienced man tto he appointed to patrol the streets at uncertain hours. A very greal deal more than this is needed, httl the citif.cn- arc likely to he grateful even f„r this small measure of protection. Whitt is needed now is legislation making the punishment for bronchos ol the trallic regulations a little more severe than it A magistrate should have the power to suspend or cancel a motorist s license.