THE FARM INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 571, 28 July 1909, Page 10

THE FARM INDUSTRY.

: NEW DAIRY REGULATIONS. './ -PASSED BY-CABINET. -." AIMED AT BAD SUPPLIERS. '' WILL BEGIN NOW. .-' At the president's invitation the Minister for Agriculture,-Hon. T. Mackenzie, visited the Farmers' Union. Conference yesterday, afternoon to meet the delegates and deliver a brief address... '.■'■'._■. ' '. ■: ,-.;.,.' : ' In'an official welcome; the president ;;sa-id the; union's feelings toward Minister were entirely- cordial, ahd:th<?ir';wish. was to assist him in his work. Iriirelation.to'shira the union knew no. polities.. Mr. stated,that he regretted ho had not heard the discussion of the conference on 'Native lands because it was a most difficult problem-to deal with. He often had this .subject mentioned to ■'■ him, but usually the remark, was something to this effect :— "It is very important that tho Native landsshould be settled, but wo are suro we don't know how it is going -to be done." (Laughter.): It seemed as though, after all, one" had to appeal to tlio South Island for a.solution of these.'difficult matter's. Mr.:Mat-heson:We are, offering you a solu-' tion to-day; -.-;.'■'■ ' ; v ,-. ; : ; ;. ■"■'../.'.■ '~'*' The Dairying Scliemo^', ' Tlio Minister continued that, Cabinet- 1 had approved'of a scheme for .dealing with..the' dairying' industry which ho would .how .submit, to/ithe conference. "In.connection,'"- he. Mid,' "with- the unsatisfactory'. prices . to ..whic'h, New Zealand butter has fallen- iiir-tho! British markets, and the.! necessity that .ex-' ists/fdr; activo-steps-beingitakeir/notionly/ regarding an undue percentage of. moisture, but also as. it. affects quality, the Government; lias decided.upon a means'.that,' it is .hoped,' will be effective in : securing' an im-'j provenient of the :milk- supply and' output of tlio, factories. ■ The method to bo adopted will be to ascertain at the/ factories -which 'of i • tho- suppliers, are sending, in unsatisfactory I milk,- and then to improve the' 'supply of those .who are sending in bucli.';'■ In order to carry, this' out.it is' intended to increasel .:. tho . number J of :' instructors attached "to ' the Dairy \ Produce Division' of the Department, and,to extend the,functions of' these 'officers to the farms 1 as/well . *L S tnor dairy; factories; This -will; enablo-.the-Department to 'dispense with the services of nearly all the existing dairy inspectors, thus .materially reducing'tho expense 'in' this nection. It is confidently expected thattho, ■system-;of holding one man; responsible for' tho instruction, work not .only ■ in' tories.; but also' .at' the cowsheds,, throughout' a given ..district, will soon, .result in Now Zealarid!s,: dairy .-produce occupying a higher position.in; the'world's'markets than at b're-' sent. In this 'connection- it is proposetf to divide -the -,' whole ■: of the/dairy; factories . iii the' Dominion • into groups;,' andthat' an officer; sufficiently'higlily qualified to'cdmmand respect among .tho factory, directors, .managers, 'and suppliers ' 'be ,appointed' :• to each group. The' duties' of the ofDcdra. will; he :— '.': "(a) To 'iittend'.at the.factory; and give; : -the manager such |advico -and instnic-, -, r; tion,as are',found' desirable and, Vhilo!, :, there,, to; ascertain from .which, suppliers■ ...the unsuitable milk, is coming;.'.:,,. .-.:•'; '-..■',•"■ ','.(b)'To visit these faulty suppliers and, :; . ';'■■. armed -with * the knowledge that /they' aro ;•■ 'actually' sending; in milk of; poorer qua- .' ; . lity>; thaii' '.their ; ■ neighbourSj;' to. ■ show; * , them-where the 'defect,,lies)...and' eii-':' , deavonr to have this femcdii'd, .""using,"'--v .when; unavoidable;' the"powirs 'given by!;" the- Dairy- rndustrios'Act, ,1008,,'.t0.,en-,' 'force their requests' 'for'. : . ; "As . these' instructors will;' visit- principally- those': suppliers, whoso defe'etivo' milk is' reducing tho value.; of ..'the . factory's output, it is anticipated that thoy'-will'liavo-the cordial support of all-the other'suppliers,, as well as that of the ; directors and'managers.'' ■-, The,president; (Mr.'J.'G.'AVilson)"'¥ttid' ,; he was. glad to -have, heard .this, announcement pf-,thd:'Minister.'';..'j"llr;-'Gu'ddio;''was':a'-moat' tactful man—a; mdst' iinportaht'. matter in connection ho bc- : liovpd- tho result would begoda. : Tho'testing of .cows' was'a.Vork' that deseped 'every encouragement, for:if it were.carried out oxtensively it 3 results .would givo the' industry ■such 'a fillip that tlio, dairying'exports would soon bo increased: by another ■ million" pounds sterling'.:'- He , hoped ', tlio;, scheme .announced by the Minister wouldboput.intobperation next season. - ..'■ : ; .;-;.; ,\;-;;.-! ;:.'.' •■■■: : i , ::.-

•'-. The. : jEon. Mr. Mackenzie .•■ It will be begun at .once. ■ ;:■';'. , v : |V- ,„\}\ ,'.^'-'- r /^ \/:Vi 'U>; v bacon' cußi^: :^%^ v ,;;;, i 0 % - VV PIONEER 0F THE \IN D USTR Y. v Some interesting information in 'relation'''to' tHo bacon-curing trade."was imparted. to a of tHis paper .by .-Mr; TV;'. Di T . mock,,w'ho will shortly;rotire from tho positipn of', managing director, of; William Dimock and C 0.,. Ltd. Mr. Dimock's first experience in the bacon-curing 'trade was gained in England,-, arid ho has been 'connected- with it in New Zealand' for: the past twenty-fivo years, i'lri, conjunction with: his .brothers, ho"', started the' first bacon factory: iri : the North'. Island some twenty-four-years.'ago,''.- the situation being between Ngahauranga , and■; Kaiwarra, and-it is worthy of notice that "this-was the first bacon-curing factory in Now' Zealand to iustal a,freezing plant;..:-This factory was', unfortunately, burned down'about four years after its erection, the, result : being almost a total:loss.■' ' -,•': "'. :,,^ : , .-■.::/-,-", : .:.'; ■ r'.uV, Dimock Bros, then removed to; Wellington, their factory occupying a; site in Willis. Street, and they continued in that, location untihthey' found it necessary to seek more room, and they? removed to Waterloo Quay. About ten years ago, Mr. W.' Dimock made a tour through England,'tho Continent, America, and. Canada in' order that lie might study tho.mothods in'thoso countries, and see what advances- had been mado in tho -trado''since'he left-England. Ho made a very thorough investigation, and after get ting all the information possible" ho built tho present factory of W. Dimock and Company, Limited, at Ngahaiirariga, at acost'of nearly. £30,000. The factory affords'facilities for handling one thousand pigs per day. As indicating that the consuming public. have al-. ways been considered in the matter, of prices, %t. Dimock remarked that during the time he had been in. the bacon-curing trado in New, Zealand, no.one, to.his knowledge, had made money, .enough .to"-.retire:'onjin that.:trade,• whilst lie could enumerate ..quite a number who had invested money,' many 'thousands"of pounds,'in the business, in different parts of" the Dominion, and had lost, all theyhad put in. Mr. Dimock expressed the opinion that tho trade has now developed to a- point where an endeavour will havo to be made to find markets outside of New, Zealand."' 'In the ordinary course of events, tho Commonwealth of Australia should provide such an outlet,' but owing to the high duty of lb. at present prevailing under the Australian tariff, Now Zealand is excluded from that market,' at any. rate, during all periods of normal trade.' . '

Mr. Dimock hopes at' an early date to make' a 1 trip abroad, with a view to finding an outlet for his company's surplus products. .Mr. Baron, lato sales manager of tho Christchurch Meat Company, Limited, is taking ; over the management of TV. Co., Ltd., on August 1. '