H—3la

Appropriate action in accordance with these recommendations was subsequently taken by the Central Milk Council in setting up, firstly, the Hutt Valley and Bays Metropolitan Milk Board, and, secondly, confirming an agreement for the supply of bottled pasteurized milk between the Wellington City Council Milk Department and the Hutt Valley and Bays Milk Vendors' Association. This was followed by an economic survey undertaken at the direction of the Council to compare the relative cost of maintaining on a permanent basis the supply of bottled milk for the Hutt Valley area from the Wellington City Council as against the establishment and operational costs of a separate milk treatment plant to be essentially situated in the Hutt area. This investigation favoured the economy of erecting a new plant in the Hutt Valley, and negotiations are now proceeding with the objective of setting up a corporation representative of producer and consumer interests to undertake the public treatment of milk for that area in a modern plant to be erected in the Taita Light Industrial Area. (2) Inquiry into the Circumstances of Milk Treatment in the Auckland Metropolitan Milk District* This inquiry was held on the 26th, 27th, and 28th November, 1945, in Auckland, and the committee of inquiry on this occasion consisted of Mr. M. E. Lyons (Chairman), Mr. L. C. Nisbet, F.P.A.N.Z. (Consulting Accountant), and Mr. J. S. McFerran (Plant Engineer to the Wellington City Council Milk Department) as members. As the result of this inquiry the Committee reported in January to the Council that, in respect of all four' existing treatment houses operating in the Auckland area, the present buildings and, sites were unsuitable for the continued treatment of milk on any long-term policy. The committee recommended that the district should ultimately be serviced by' three new treatment houses—two plants on the Auckland side of the harbour and one plant on the North Shore side. The capacity of the plants on the Auckland side to be not less than 20,000 gallons per day, and on the North Shore side not less than 3,000 gallons per day. In this regard action has already been taken in arranging for the purchase by the Crown of three of the four existing plants and the establishment of the Auckland Milk Treatment Corporation, charged with the responsibility of planning the future development of milk treatment facilities for the area as a whole. (3) Inquiry into m Dispute between the Christ church Metropolitan MUk Braird and am Association of Christchurch Milk Vendors in respect of MUk Zoning. This inquiry was held, in Christchurch on the 6th February, 1947, and the committee of inquiry consisted of the Central Milk Council as a whole, with the exception of Mr. M. E. Lyons, who presented the case for the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board. Public submissions were presented to the Council by the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board in favour of a proposed new zoning scheme, giving householders a choice of milk vendors within certain limits, and arguments against this scheme were presented by representatives of Christchurch vendors. The committee subsequently announced a decision on the 24th March, 1947, to the effect that the objections of the vendors to the proposals of the Christchurch Metropolitan Milk Board were on the whole justified, and that the Milk Authority should not proceed with the suggested rezoning scheme.

6