MILK.

Shannon News, 28 August 1923, Page 4

MILK.

The greed and profiteering propensites of milk distributors in the larger centres of population have been one of the nation’s food scandals for a long time. Facts and figures dealing with the subject in the interim report of the Departmental Committee on milk and milk products are conclusive on the peint that the charges for retailing milk are grossly exorbitant. We cannot see where the Committee has thrown much light on how reductions are to made, but, clearly, if an important item of farm produce like milk, admittedly the finest natural food for man or animal kind, cannot be handled much less expensively between the producer and the consumer, something is seriously wrong with the system. It is up to farmers, at all events, to put the case plainly before the town dwellers who, meantime, are paying to shopkeepers twice as much, and in some cases more, for farm produce, than the farmer, who has all the risk and trouble of raising or producing the food, himself obtains. The big margin which goes into the pocket of the milk retailer is clearly shown in tables giving the average prices paid to producers and by consumers in the principal Scottish cities in the years 1913 and 1922. With the exception of Edinburgh, which is famed for its city and suburban dairies, the cost of distribution in 1922 wa3 doubled all over, and in some eases more than double that of 1913. Retail profiteering, as indicated, is no new grievance as may be seen in the case of Dundee where, in 1913, despite the fact that the producers got 2Jd less per gallon in certain months than in others, the retailer never altered his charge all the year round. Indeed, at the period the producer gets the least per gallon, the Dundee milk retailer charges the most for distribution. The following tables are eloquent of the big margin between the producers’ and the consumers’ price per gallon, thus:

(A) Producer’s price per gallon. (±5) Consumer’s price per gallon. • 1913. 1922. A. B. Margin. A. B. Margin

While pointing out that a striking feature of the milk trade is the large number of retail milk shops in large town and cities and that “the margin allowed for distribution is frequently greater than that allowed for production/ ’ the Government Committee have really nothing of a very practical nature to suggest which would be helpful cither to the producer or consumer. The Committee, however, agree that “there is room for a substantial increase in both tho consumption of liquid milk and in tho home production of milk for manufacturing purposes.” But where is the incentive to the farmer to produce or to tho public to consume if each is to bo so bady fleeced by the middleman that the producer is not encouraged to develop his dairy business nor the consumer 'able to buy the quantity, of this rich /food desired? No doubt, as the report says, “ '-the

practice of door-to-door delivery of small quantities of milk is an expensive luxury,'' but need it be so expensive that the wholesaler be paid approximately 4d and the retailer Sd per gallon for distribution? The cost of distribution, according to the Committee, is still more than 100 per cent, above prewar rates. The Committee are laudatory in regard to “the advantages of well-considered schemes of co-operation in the dairying industry which have been proved in Scotland and in North Wales,'' and state that “the comparative lack of success of co-operative dairying in England should not be allowed to prejudice its future development on sound lines and in suitable areas.”

The Committee also urge that “the National. Farmers 1 Union should give , serious consideration to the question of co-operation, with a view to encouraging the formation of co-operative dairy societies; under suitable conditions and in districts where they, are most needed and likely to achieve a fair measure of success.” After pointing to “the initiative and 'enlightenment which the railway authorities in the United States and certain other countries have shown in the: handling of milk traffic,” the Committee ihold:that ‘/transport facilities ih .this country have not kept pace with the modern developments and requirements of the,industry/' and point out that ‘/ lower railway charges .on milk would be of the greatest national advantage iii encouraging, an increase in consumption and therefore in. railway revenue. The companies should review, the present scale of rates in this sense.” The railway charges, admittedly, are still too high, but the distribution expenses in towns 1 are the chief factor against producer and consumer, and we agree with the Committee, even if theirs is but a pious i observation, that “a substantial reduction of the wholesaler's margin of 4d or of the combined margin of Is a gallon should be made having; regard- to the changed conditions. "-“Fanning News.

EDINBURGH. a. s. a. d. a. d. s. d. a. d. Jan. 9* 1 4 64 1 10 2 8 10 Feb. Si 1 4 64 1 6 2 8 1 2 March. 8 1 4 8 1 2 2 4 1 2 April 7 1 4 9 1 1 2 0 11 May 6f 1 2 94 104 2 0 1 14 June 61 1 2 74 94 1 8 104 July 7 1 2 7 104 1 8 94 Aug. 7 1 2 7 1 0 1 8 8 Sept. 7i 1 4 84 1 4 2 0 8 Oct. 8i 1 4 74 1 4 2 0 8 Nov. Si 1 8 104 1 6 2 4 10 Dec. Si 1 8 104 1 8 2 4 8 GLASGOW. d. s. d. d. s. a. s. d. s. d. Jan. 10 1 2 4 1 54 2 24 9 Feb. 10 1 2 4 1 3 2 0 9 March 10 1 2 54 1 3 2 0 9 April 7 1 0 5 1 3 2 0 9 May 6i 1 0 54 10 1 8 10 June 6i 1 0 54 10 1 8 10 July 64 1 0 54 10 1 8 10 Aug. 7 1 0 5 11 1 8 9Sept. 7 1 0 5 1 0. 1 10 10 Oct. oo 1 2 54 1 24 2 0 10 Nov. 9 1 2 5 1 7 2 4 9 Dec. 94 1 2 44 1 7 24 9 DUNDEE. a. s. a. a. a. d. a. d. s. d. Jan. 94 1 2 44 1 10 2 8 10 Feb. 84 1 2 44 1 10 2 8 10 March 84 1 2 54 1 2 .2 0 10 April 84 1 2 54. 12 2 0 10 May 71 2 7 1 2 2 0 10 June 7 1 2 7 11 2 0 11 July 7 .1 2 7 1 1 2 0 11 Aug. 74 1 2 64 1 2 2 3 10 Sept. n 1 2 64 1 2 2 0 10 Oct. 84 1 2 54 16 2 4 10 Nov. v 84 1 2 54 16 2 4 10; Dec. 8f 1 2 54 1 6 2 4 10; ABERDEEN. a. s. ct. a. s. d. 9. d. s, .(L Jan. 9 1 2 5 1 6 2 4 " 10 1 Feb. 84 1 1 44 1 6 24 10 March 8 1 1 5 16 2 4 10 April 8 1 1 5 1 2 2 0 10 May 8 1 1 5 1 2 2 0 10 June 8 1 1 5 1 2 2 0 10 July 8 1 1 5 1 0 2 0 1 o Aug. 74 11 54 1 1 2 0 11 Sept. 8 1 1 5 1 2 2.0 10 Oct. 84 1 1 44 1 2 2 0 10 Nov. 84 1 1 44 1 2 2 0 10 Dec. 84 1 1 44 1 2 2 0 10