A FRIENDLY CRITIC.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 179, 24 April 1908, Page 2

A FRIENDLY CRITIC.

OUR DAIRY INSPECTION. HOW THEY DO THINGS IN VICTORIA. There is an expert, among us, holiday™ajiln f S- c , Ho , is, M r . S. S., Cameron, JH.K.U.V.b., chief veterinarian ' and ' chief dairy inspector of Victoria. During his short stay in Wellington lie has bqpn shown the technical things that Wellington has to show by some of. the departmental. officers, and yesterday ho had a brief'.interview with the Minister for. Agriculture, tlio Hon. It. M'Nab. He goes to-day to tho Hct Lakes districts. Speaking to a Dominion representative, he outlined- the schemo of dairy inspection as carried.' on in Victoria —a scheme -'which -differs very materially from that contemplated for . New Zealand. - " Regulations!" ho exclaimed,* in answer 'to a question. Wo have none." • . Then how on earth do you regulate your inspection? . ; ' "We liavo capable,' trustworthy men. Regulations apply to not ninety out. of a hundred cases that crop up. I realised when this work was staVted twenty : months ago that it would be useless to lay down regulations for inspection in which ninety out' of every hundred cases would have to be treated on their merits, and not according to regulations at; all." ; , \ ■ For instance—— "Well; what is th? use of insisting on a cement floor where , there is no ' cement . within; a hundred miles? Or bricks where there is no clay?- Or stone paving where ypu • can't, get stone in Alio district? You have-got to deal with ..each district and each farm on its merits. We. have appointed trained men who are. capable of doing that. Vie can rely on their judgment in each individual case." • Aro the men tested? ■ " Certainly. They aro examined first, and appointed afterwards—if they pass! • I under-' stand yours lire appointed first and examined' afterwards; but I' prefer -our wav " i I)o yours always pass? . Oh, no. ' Look at this report, iAt tlio first ...examination, put of 260 candidates, oijly twenty-two passed. . At the next examination,' out of i severity,' there .were", twenty' who passed." '• _ • .■■ You control the inspection of?'dairies? ■ ■ . Yes. The whole of. the live stock activities: of tho'Department are amalgamated under tho chief, veterinary officer as head of the stock and dairy supervision branches. My,;' staff comprises 'seventy-;'officers—dairy .supervisors, stock inspectors, and veterinary .officers." , ■ ■ Your dairy 'supervisors aro laymen?' ; ; " Yes.]' ' Just like ours. .'•"All, but ours '-are'-'trained men beforfe "*ey. are appointed. We can' absolutely rely on the. judgment of every one 'of them." How do they work ? . ' ; ' - f, Tlioy. make;requirements 1 on Jhe' dairy' farmers,. subject, of course,'- to ' ratification by-the. head of the branch, and subject also to appeal to; tho Minister. In this Connection, .however, not a. single appeal lias ever been .made. Sinco. tho Act. came' into -force' in. July,-1906, requirement's have been issued upon, roughly', 95 per cent;" of the .'dairy: farmers, and in 60; per cent, of those cases the . requirements;. have been.: already. complied, with. Ours is\ fractional /.legislation; IJio inspmtion, so fhr, extends only to'B4 of the-,,206. municipalities, but it applie3 to ; . Gutter-making-;■districts,. .'town'-milk supply,' l etc.". ■! - Any trouble?.... x ';. " No. VNet it'-'single prosecution yet.. JYo have a big power in being ablv to refuse'a license." -'7- 1 - .How dp vou .deal-tvJiOi r ices 5 - ■. '! Tho cost' of', is slinrcd -.-be-,, tween ■ landlord and .to .the' i . length of-the lease. -t; ■ ' V Osuier Tenant .. ' - Pare. Pays. ■Under 3 years ... - all -. nono - '. . . 3tO 6 :, -J ■ i • 6to 9 „ ; I . 9to 12. • „ ,i\ • i ► Oyer 12 - none 'all' ■■ How-do you get'at tho owner?' The/tenant-has., to - notify tho - owner of. our requirement.,', and -if.the.'.owner does not ,comply within;'-a! specified period, ■ thetenant can carry -out' the-, work and:.recover ' from tlio . owner; either by-legal process or by deductions, from' the rent,■•'' producinr:, ofcourse,, vouchers for th'o" cost" of the work. /.If the'tenhht-himself fails to comply, wa give him . no licoiise, 'and ;.the: ne::t stage is to prosecute', him. for selling :■ milk .without-'-a. liennse." ■ .. . -' ■■'!.■' ■' v .'. 'You bavo, never .had. to. prosecute? l . ; '~;",No. Oii the. contrary -the farmers are 'calling out for more inspectors, so that- they will see- them-, oftener. •; /rhpy -are beginning; to regard them as ' advisers.'and bringers of''information- respecting ..tlio .growtlv'of fodder crtps, 1 and general : dairy improvements. .-•."Diseased cr.itle?-;Well,. wo■r.vo no sys-tom;-of■' cbmpciisation -for.;condemned, stock;> but novertheless the cb.ir.v:..farmers- hai;e come to have unbounded confidence in the ; 'sys'--tem, bocauso no. cow is prohibited. for iiso except oil.■.veterinarian, examination; The'.'supervisors, ,'or' mispcctoi's,' ;aot simply 'as scouts in this-'matter.They -j .- can detect a 1 suspicious, [ 'anim?.l, and order it to bo left out of use for. a -period not exceeding 14 days,; during ' which time , a veterinary.officer comcs r.nd examines it,,and: either-removes or, pakos pornianent tho-pro-hibition. .In practice only about half,'of tho temporary prohibitions have been made,persocietics. / ■■ '. . rrtanent by the veterinary\ : officcr. This" has proved a * welcome . change from tho old ■ method of indiscriminate condemnation by lay officers. '.' In' 'spite ."of tlio fact'that we -givo-.no compensation, it is seldom that a condemnation is objected; t0,,.. The yetorin--arihn is welcomed because' lie removes pro-; hibitions as often'as ho: condemns, and ,li; is, therefore, looked, uoon, as a deliverer cr cattle which in the past- ;wore' shot-'«ithout " appeal." . ■. " How many cows have you .condemned?"In tho .first year,, 287. Of ' those,, 126\vero. destroyed ;with. .the. consent of the, ownors; and in po&t-niortein. examinations , on--110 of them; the. results' were as follows:— .Tuberculosis ....,... 55 in udder .27 otherwise. 28 Actinomycosis ... ... 33 in udder -27 ■- otherwise . 6 Both diseases ; . ... ...: , ... ...... 3 Mammitis"(a disease of udder) 15 Miscellaneous ••• ; ••• ... 4 Thus half tho'cows dissected were- tuberculous, and half the tuberculous cows wore diseased in tho udders—in which case tho .danger of human beings contracting that dire disease consumption is incalculable." REWA BUTTER FACTORY. DIRECTORS AUTHORISED TO SELL. . At f:- meeting of shareholders of tho Rewa •Dairy' Company 011 Wednesday (telegraphs our Foilding correspondent) tlio directorswere authorised to dispose of the business to the best advantage.' Tho Rewa Co-operative Dairy Factory Company has creameries at Pakihi'kura, Waituna West,- and Sandon Block. The "Rewa" brand of butter is known to Wellington .consumers, and is well liked. The company's other brand is " Iceberg.". Tho farmers supplying milk to the company Numbered last year thirty-seven, and tho output was 106 tons. TARATAHI CHEESE FACTORY. Milk suppliors to tho Taratahi Chcesa Factory (says our Wairarapa correspondent) liavo been decreased from 37 in tho busy season to 15 this week. The!daily supply has increased slightly during tho past six woeksi and now stands at 300 gallons, 90 of which is contributed by the herds of two farmers', who-so lands wero fairly swampy, and consequently i have , boon growing a plentiful amount o'f fefid, when other areas in the same vicinity wore absolutely bare. It is very probable that tho faotory will .continue till the end of May, won at only, 300 gallons of milk'a day.