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Prices The prices charged were as follows : — Retail (bottled), average for 1943 .. .. . . 27-796 d. per gallon. Wholesale .. .. .. .. .. .. sd. per gallon below retail. To regular purchasers of 250 gallons or more per month a rebate of l|d. per gallon . is allowed. Hospitals .. .. .. .. .. .. "1 School milk .. .. .. .. .. .. contract prices. Armed Forces .. .. .. .. .. j Zoning Owing to the fact that so large a proportion of the milk is distributed by the ono large vendor the Wellington area was fairly effectively zoned before the system of zoning was officially adopted. The nearby farmers were zoned in 1942 and the Hutt Valley vendors in 1940. A certain amount of duplication of travel between the Milk Department and individual vendors is allowed so as to ensure to purchasers an opportunity to purchase either raw or pasteurized milk. As in other areas, considerable economies have been effected by the adoption of zoning. Methods of Delivery The Wellington City Council employs forty-three horse-drawn and eleven motor-driven vehicles on retail delivery rounds. It has four motor-vans employed on wholesale delivery and twenty-one other motor-vehicles used for feeder services, delivery to schools, and for collection from trains, &c. Of the forty-eight producer-vendors some use light vans on delivery. A number of them use private cars adapted for the purpose. In the Hutt Valley delivery motor-vehicles are used by twenty-two distributors, horse and cart transport by four, and other methods by six. It may be said that generally the vehicles and method are well up to the standard of delivery established in New Zealand, but no person watching the delivery in very hot and dusty or in very wet weather and noticing the uncovered condition of the vehicles would be inclined to approve it as ideal. The roundsmen employed by the Wellington City Council now work 46J hours per week; they start at 3 a.m. in summer and at 6 a.m. in winter; they travel on their rounds an average of twelve miles ; they occupy seven hours on a round ; and they deliver on an average 120 gallons per day per round. This high gallonage per day may be contrasted with the delivery at Auckland where the roundsmen deliver milk for 4-| hours per day only and where each roundsman has to handle both bottled and loose milk. The computed cost of distribution by the Milk Department is 6-43 d. per gallon, as compared with from 7-65 d. to 10-42 d. by companies iti other areas. The forty-eight nearby farmers live close to the city and transport the milk they produce straight on to the round. As their average daily delivery is over 60 gallons it is doubtful whether any appreciable economy could be effected by any further rationalization. In the Hutt Valley there are twelve producer-vendors. Some of them travel considerable distances to and from their rounds. The following examples illustrate the position : — One producer-vendor travels 40 miles to deliver 62 gallons. A second producer-vendor travels 30 miles to deliver 69| gallons. A third producer-vendor travels 20 miles to deliver 54 gallons. These producer-vendors do not produce all the milk they deliver, but purchase portion of their milk from the Wellington Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Association, Ltd. The twenty raw-milk vendors—that is, vendors other than producer-vendors—in the Hutt Valley purchase the milk they distribute from the Wellington Dairy Farmers' Co-operative Association, Ltd., and as it is delivered to their premises there is no wastage in collection. Some of the premises, however, are situated at considerable distances from the rounds. One vendor travels 15 miles to deliver 36| gallons, while another travels 43 miles to deliver 150 gallons. Two features of the Wellington system of distribution are unique. Consumers are required to pay for their own bottles and payment for bottled milk is made by tokens. The wastage of bottles is still heavy, but the liability on the consumer acts as an incentive to the exercise of care and saves the vendor considerable expense. It has the merit that the careless bear the whole loss consequent on their carelessness and the careful consumer is not called upon to share that loss. Payment by tokens saves the time of the roundsman, both on his rounds and when making his returns. It also saves a considerable amount of labour in the office, enabling the staff to be much smaller than is customary in businesses of a comparable size, and it eliminates bad debts. The tokens are sold by retail agencies, to whom the generous allowance of 2| per cent, on all tokens sold is allowed. CHAPTER 4.—PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE SUPPLY OF MILK TO THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF CHRISTCHURCH The Metropolitan Area of Christchurch comprises the City of Christchurch, the Boroughs of Riccarton and Sumner, and rural parts of the Counties of Waiinairi, Paparua, and Halswell. Though the Borough of Lyttelton is named in the Year-Book as part of the urban area of Christchurch, it is separated from Christchurch by the Port Hills and does not draw its milk from the same supply area as the city. The whole of the metropolitan area is flat, is provided with good and convenient roads, and is admirably situated for the expeditious and economical delivery of any commodity in universal and daily use. Demand Population The population of the metropolitan area —that is, of the urban area with Lyttelton excluded— for 1941 was stated in the 194-2 Year-Book at 133,300. In addition to the members of the civilian population within the area, 9,650 children attending schools outside the area, ships visiting the Port of Lyttelton, and several bodies of Armed Forces draw supplies from vendors operating within the area. The movement of the population in the area is shown in the following figures published in the Year-Book for the period from 1911-1941 : — 1911 .. .. .. 85,500 1926 .. .. .. 115,300 1916 .. .. •• 90,200 1936 .. .. .. 129,500 1921 .. .. .. 103,000 1941 .. .. 133,300

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