BUTTER FAT TESTS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17418, 31 March 1922, Page 8

BUTTER FAT TESTS.

FARMERS' MEETING AT OHOKA. GOVERNMENT INSPECTION REQUIRED. A well-attended meeting of d&'.ry farmers was held at Ohoka last evening, when Mr H. Bliss, jun., president of the Ellesmere Dairymen's Association, and Mr J. Parian©, president of the Christ-church Dairymen's Association, attended and discussed with tin© local suppliers the proposal to request that the butter-fat testing at dairy factories should bo undertaken bv Government inspectors. Mx F. Poarce, president of the North Canterbury Dairymen's Association, presided. Mi- Bliss detailed the various means which added to the expense of buttermaking, and emphasised the need for improving the grade for the home market. They knew that there was a good deal of dissatisfaction with tlic butterfat testing at and there were grounds for 111 at complaint, iaranalvt had introduced the Canadian system of limiting the over-run, but it was not satisfactory eo long as there were so many loopholes for escape. He read a, letter from the South Island Dairy Association, which stated that the Ontario Cream and Milk Testing Act provided for a, Government official going into the factories to check the testing aria the making up of the over-run where necessary. It had been found necessary in Canada, and there wee now a very keen demand for some legislation of a similar nature in the Dominion, owing to the.fact that some factories were underreading the test and paying out apparently higher prices tnan others. It was understood that heavy pre«9:ire wm being brought to bear from certain districts in the Nortih Island. The Sout'i Island Association asked for an expression of opinion on the subject. There was no reason why the farmer should take the factory test or. trust, continued Mr Bli?s. There w:-s a necessity for seeing that the grading and weighing were above suspicion of inaccuracy. ~ He then submitted the following proposals to the meeting for comment and approval:—

(1) That compulsory grading should be carried out by the dairy division. (2) The grader to work on the receiving platform, and to take charge of all samples and test-room. (3) The grader should notify dairymen of tests. (4) The tester should use acid standardised for accurate testing. (5) Equipment for testing to carry a Government stamp for accuracy.

(6) No test to be made of cream without the use of cream-scales, also carrying a Government stamp for accuracy. (7) The supplier or his agent to be supplied with a duplicate sample on application, and allowed to be present when samples were taken, and the same rule to apply to factories. The inspector should not unduly interfere. (8; These conditions to apply to all factories where milk was delivered and payment was made on a butterfat basis. (9) City supplies: The inspector to have recourse to samples of milk and cream that have been taken by companies to determine the butter-fat content for payment.

If it were made compulsory to pay on grade, Mr Bliss said, the grade of the cream would be improved. This was a question upon which he wished to have an expression of opinion. Mr Pearce said that the inspectors appointed under the proposed scheme would be under Government control, and that was what they ivanted, as they v.ere not satisfied with the existing system of control. Mr Parlane said that one milk concern in the North Island, which was one of the largest of its kind in the world, considered it necessary to have inspectors. Another thing to be remedied was the difference in grade between North Island and South Island cream. Canterbury cream, should be of higher grade. Mr R. Newell (Rangiora) moved that the meeting approve the first clause. The motion was carried. On the motion of- Mr Newell, Clauses 2 and 6 were adopted, with one dissentient.

The dissentient. Mr M. Williams, when asked to state his reasons, said that he thought they were straining at a smat and swallowing a camel. Competition and private enterprise were good for commerce but bad for, production. He advocated co-opnration in order to save overlapping in administrative expenses. Mr Bliss cnid that there was no reason why private enterprise should not operate' as well as co-operative concerns, so long as they were all under proper supervision. Tho way the testing was carried out on trust was a joke. Mr Bliss agreed with Mr Wiliiams that there was a great deal of waste going on at present by the overlapping of the various rival concerns in collecting cream.

Tho remaining classes were adopte.d. The'chairman thanked the meeting for approving he scheme. It was the .intention of the Association to ask the Government to pas-s Jie necessary legislation, and failing that, they would ask a country member of PaiHiament to take the matter up alter the dairymen had been organised.

Mr Parlane said that in formulating the scheme the committee had consulted some of the factory managers. Their original intention was to shift the inspectors around periodically from one factory to the other, but instead of that ihey had inserted the clause regarding tho inspection by the farmer or his agent. If a factory spent too much on collecting expenses, it would automatically gp out as it could not afford it if there over-run were limited. Mr Parlano subsequently gave a brief but interesting address on herd-testing .ind at the conclusion of the meeting a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the visitors from Christ,:'nurch.

Other country districts aro to be visited by Messrs Par Jane and Bliss in the near future. HAWAHDEN MAEKET. Business had quit© a brisk tone at the Hawuruen lnariui. yeotexuuy, iuo export buyeia oeing present in imi lorce, una ~ut to ao busniiiSb. The enuy 0 i mts coiioisLea of 4050 iami-a, 17.2 ewes, and lUii wciners. There was a very deemed advance in. iat lamb values, ae compaieu wun ot' lata saies in tiie district, luuy bu per Jb being tho price. i.xira. prime lot 3 mads 26s 4d to litis 11a, prima 2os to 24s Ba, medium weights' lua tu to 2is 6d, light 15s lud. to 19s id. Ino ewes sold at IDs 9d to 13s 9d, and the wethers ai 2La 7d to 21s Sd. Amongst the sales were: Lambs —130 at lid, 141 at 245, 142 at 21s 2d, 81 at 2is 6d, lil 'at 21s 7d, 140 at 21s fc*l, 100 at Ms lid, 104 at 26s 4d, G6 at 22s lid, 130 at 25a 4a, 44 at 2Js, 62 at 23s 6d, 22 at 22s 7d, 49 at 203 10d, 52 at £os Id, 30 at 23s Id, 301 tt 23s 3d, 60 at 26s lid, 57 at 22s 9d, 111 at 203 7d, 34 at 2Gs Id, 54 at 193 lid, 63 at 215,. 24 at 23a, 25 at 23s Id, 46 at 193 6d, 49 at 21s Id, 9 at 24a Id. 32 at 21a, 77 at 235, 66 at 23s 2d, 20 at 20s Bd, 71 at 24s lid, 76 at 23s Id, 29 at 23s Sd, 41 at 21b Id, 21 at 20a 6d, 12 at 213 2d, 77 at 203, 43 at 20s id, 83 at 15s lOd, 22 at 2.'te, 17 at 2Ss (id. Ewos—Bo at 13s 9d, 22 at 12s 2d, 21 at 13s lOd, 29 at 10s 9d, 12 at 13s 9d. Wethers—97 at 20s 7d, 6 at 213 9d. There wa3 a fair yarding of stores, which sold at ruling prices.