The Milk Report
THAT something is fundamentally wrong with the conditions under which milk is produced, bought and sold in this country has become evident to everyone who has watched the recurrent wrangles between farmers and dairymen, or marvelled at the difference between the prices received by the producer and the retailer. The conviction has grown among us that either we, as consumers of milk, arc paying too much, or that the farmer, who can scarcely make both ends meet, is receiving too little. That we were justified in this belief is made abundantly clear by the able and bold report issued by the Milk Commission, which makes comprehensive proposals for securing a fair price to the producer, for improving the quality of milk, and for promoting, by propaganda, a greater consumption. That these are questions affecting the interests of every man, woman and child in the country is obvious enough. And how profoundly they affect the greatest national industry—that of farming—may be judged by the fact that in 1930-31 the value of milk and milk products sold off farms in England and Wales at an inadequate price was £55,000,000, or twenty-eight per cent. of the total value of agricultural and horticultural sales.
Under the present organization the farmer is not receiving a reasonable price when regard is had to the price which the consumer pays.- Producers must be able to " bargain as a body with one voice." With that object in view the Commission would have the producers registered, and set up a Central Producers' Board elected by them. This body would deal on their behalf with a similarly elected Central Dairymen's and Manufacturers' Board ; and smooth working would be promoted by a Joint Milk Council, in which members of both Boards would sit, with three impartial members added, to fix prices and settle other matters of common interest.
It cannot be denied that great powers as well as important duties will be given to these three bodies. The farmer will have no choice but to register, and lie will find that he must spend time filling in forms and receiving inspectors who will examine his cattle and dairy-work. But such irksome obligations are inevitable if he on his part is to secure the full price for his produce and the community is to be sure of the quality of its milk. Public confidence in the purity of milk is the indispensable preliminary to the campaign of propaganda to " drink more milk " which the Council would be empowered to undertake. The Report also makes valu- able suggestions in regard to milk for manufacture. There will certainly be differences of opinion about the proposal to tax imported condensed milk—the Commissioners have generously interpreted their terms of reference. But they arc right in giving very great powers to the three independent members of the Council. Without them the consumer would be unrepresented and differ- ences of opinion might lead to deadlock. The Food Council risked becoming an object of derision by reason of its lack of compulsory powers. It is right that there should be an independent clement capable in the last resort of giving an arbitral decision when producers and distri- butors cannot agree.
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