CREAM TRANSPORT.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1927, Page 1

CREAM TRANSPORT.

WHAT 1)1 ItKC'TUI! OF DAIRY DIVISION THINKS. (“ Dominion, ” Wellington.) ‘•There tire many districts in which cream transport appears to he handled so efficiently that those responsible arc deserving of commendation,' 1 said the Director of the Dairy Division (Mr W. M. Singleton) in his address to members of the National Dairy Association last week. “ l nlortunately, there are other districts where coinpotition has induced or lorced dafiy companies to take action by way of defending their interests. At the same time they recognised that circumstances should have been such that this action could have heen avoided. *• My desire is to stress the point that in a mimher of districts it is very important that something should be done, by way of co-operation, towards reducing the costs of cream delivery. In some districts i 1 to block system could be brought in. but it may be impracticable for dairy companies in a number ol other districts to considei each company confining its operations to an area to be agreed upon. In stub instances the question might be considered as to whether one lorry might not take all the cream on its route and deliver it to the respective factories to which it belongs. Where the factories are situated close together, this would appear to he practicable.

EXCESS COST OF CREAM TRANSPORT. ■ We have had a rough survey macro of the general position, and it is estimated that excess cost ol transport of cream must amount approximately to I'lio.OOO. It would appear almost Incredible that any dairy company would undertake the cartage ol some suppliers’ cream under the circumstances reported to me. Lorries lrom various companies traverse the same road in some districts and pass lrom one to three or more dairy factories. Contrast this with the position in another district from which three different companies got supplies of cream by rail. The one contractor carries all the cream to the station, thus facilitating more frequent delivery. My information is to the effect that the position is satisfactory to each of the companies concerned. "It is surely manifest that it is high time ihat more co-operation was evidenced in this problem of cream cartage'. Suppliers should get in touch with the directors of their company if they have reason to believe that their company is one which is losing money after this manner. Such pressure would probably induce companies to find ways and means of solving the problem. It evil! have to he treated as a local matter, in each case, but is surely worthy of attention. Suppliers should realise that these excess costs are paid out of proceeds from butter sales, and that did they not occur the dairvfarmcr could reasonably expert a higher payment for bnttor-fat.”