DEARER MILK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 May 1939, Page 6

DEARER MILK

EFFECT 0F RECENT INCREASE IN MASTERTON BIG SLUMP IN CONSUMPTION OF CREAM. HIGHER PRODUCTION COSTS ON FARMS. The recent increase in the price of milk and cream in Masterton has not been received very favourably by many consumers, and as a result there has been a substantial decrease in the consumption of cream. Although some householders have reduced their milk requirements in order to counteract the increase in- price, there does not appear to be any marked difference in the quantity consumed. One milk vendor reports that a fair number of his customers have cut down their milk orders, while last Sunday, when normally he would have disposed of 3 to 3£ gallons of cream, he cleared only about a gallon. Another milkman states that following the rise, two of his customers have decided to use tinned milk. He also reports a big slump in the sale of cream. The increased price was decided upon at a meeting of supplying farmers and vendors. The position of the farmers may be summed up as a rather difficult one. Owing to the dry weather experienced earlier in the year there is a decided scarcity of milk. In a normal year, the cows are not fed before the end of May or beginning of June, whereas this year, feeding had to be resorted to as early as March. Moreover, under these conditions the cows only give half as much milk as they do in summer off the grass. Suppliers maintain that the increase of 2d per gallon for milk does not compensate them for the cost of feeding the cows. The price now being charged on the farm is Is 2d per gallon for milk, and Ils 6d per gallon for cream, compared with Is and 9s per gallon respectively before the increase. “It is time tffe authorities looked in-* to the whole business,” said one milk vendor, when referring to the position in general. “The only way to get cheap milk in Masterton is by the adoption of the block system. At present much of the profit goes in delivery expenses. You can see six or seven milkmen delivering milk in one street. That entails a needless waste in running costs, but if a block sys* tern were in operation I am quite sure we could still sell the milk at the old prices and in addition our work would be cut in half, and everyone would have milk early in the morning.” The consumer, meantime, is faced with having to pay the increased price and having to foot the bill or reduce the quantity of milk. One point that does appear to be somewhat of an injustice, however, is that although the farmer has increased the price of milk to the vendors by 2d a gallon, the vendors in.turn have increased it by 4d a gallon to the consumer. It is recognised, of course, that few customers purchase milk in gallon quantities, but it is considered by some people that cash customers should receive more reasonable treatment, and at least should not be called upon to pay double the increase charged to the vendors.

Owing to the scarcity of milk, vendors have been compelled to incur considerably increased costs in the collection of sufficient milk to supply their customers, it being necessary in some cases to collect milk from several farms, perhaps at some distance from town. It is claimed that on this account they are entitled to receive something more than the 2d increase charged by the farmers.