DEARER MILK

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 962, 3 May 1930, Page 12

DEARER MILK

HALFPENNY INCREASE A QUART OPPOSITION EXPRESSED All bottled milk sold in Auckland by members of tho Auckland Milk Vendors’ Association will be sold from today at tho rate of 6Ad a quart, an advance of a halfpenny a quart on the price which has ruled since last spring. Milk served to customers direct from tho cans will continue to be sold at 6d. Milk prices in Auckland are generally advanced Id a quart in January as soon as the season lias passed its flush. Last year the rise was deferred until March, owing to the continued high output for the city suppliers. This year, due to the favourable season, there lias again been high production. Also another factor is the quietness in the dairy produce market which has caused some farmers to forsake this market in favour of catering for the city supply. PRICE-CUTTING PREVALENT? It is said that price-cutting has also been prevalent, particularly in the trad© with hotels, boarding houses and other large consumers who take milk in bulk. Vendors outside tho association, in addition, have been selling bottled milk at 5d a quart, and have guaranteed their customers that the price will not'be raised for at least two years. At a meeting of the Auckland Whole Milk Producers’ Association at Otahuhu last evening opposition to any increase in prices to consumers was expressed. There was an attendance of about 40 members, Mr. W. W. Massey presiding. Statements made at the meeting were that the producers could be given a higher return and an increase in prices to consumers could be avoided if tli© vendors reorganised the distribution so as to avoid overlapping in th© services. It was# said that Clonb.ern Road. Kemuera, was served by as many as 2G vendors. Complaints regarding the price paid to the producers were made freely, one* speaker stating that the average was lOd a gallon for milk sold on contract, and about 5d a gallon for any supplied in excess of tho contract quantity. Th© meeting decided that representatives of the association should wait on tho Vendors' Association to discuss the iTosition.