MILK QUESTION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10298, 5 June 1919, Page 6

MILK QUESTION

A SERIOUS SHORTAGE. STATEMENT BY COUNCILLOR NORWOOD. Interviewed regarding the shortage of milk which has occurred in Wellington recently Councillor C B. Norwood, the chairman of the City Council milk committee, yesterday made the following statement: — There has been a serious shortage of milk during tho last six of 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 mado moro acute as the result of very cold weather following on a prolonged dry spell. While information to hand shows that Wellington is .not in th« worst position among the four centres, thej conditions are such ,as to cause my oommittee serious anxiety. We arm drawing daily a considerable amount of milk from the Wairarapa side of the ranges, but at the present timo 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 tho bridges on the Kimutaka, which are said to be too weak to carry the loads. If this supply is cut off it will be a most 6erioua 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 bo done to improve the roads and strengthen the bridges. In the meantime wo are taking the natter up with the Railway Department to see if some concessions can bo given on the railways in order to copo with the roe*, tion.

At the present time milk i:> being deliver-d 1o vendors in exact proportion to tho size of their rounds, and they are loing rsked to supp'y th?!r customers, pro rata, on the same principle, so that no one will he left entirely without milk. It is ho*:ed that by the 10"-.h inst. th* block system of d livery will to brought into force, nnd i r _ tho nrranc;<--ents are comnMcd it will be tho vendors' last opportunity of settling matters. Under this scheme a tetter control will ba, maintaint-d over the distribution. In the meantime my committee lias no reason to believe that vendors nro not delivering milk pro rata to their customers.