GRADING PORTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 978, 19 November 1910, Page 8

GRADING PORTS.

A MINISTERIAL STATEMENT. Recently, the Wanganui 'Chamber of .Commerce asked the Minister for Agri--1 -1 .culture (the Hon. T. Mackenzie) to : vmake-Wanganui a.port for-th© grading ,of dairy produce. / ■ In reply, the "secretary of the .cham--I■'"■ l• ,ber , has received tho following letter i.V:; ."from the Minister.:—"Sir, —With refer,ence ,to jour letter of October 25, in ;. .' which • you. ask 1 that Wanganui should ■■■. be made a grading port for. dairy pro- ■ ./ duce, I 'have the honour to inform you that I have; very carefully gone into "this matter, and I.find that to comply with your request it' will be necessary v.'. to appoint an additional' grader, which ; y ' -.would mean an. increased expenditure i>; of at least £250. per annum. I under- ' . , ■ stand the suggestion has been made \ : that 'shippers of dairy produce in :.Waj; : ! viganui should bear ■ tho cost of . this >'■ ~ v / additional grader, and I shall be pleased ! ' to hear from, those interested on .this ' .point. I shall also be glad to receive '. ~a list of the dairy companies (together with the outputs) which have definitely .agreed to send their butter and chcesoj ; • through Wanganui in the event .of . grading being undertaken there... I would point out to your chamber-that a multiplicity of grading ports ,is. not in the best interests of the dairy industry.' At. the present time a great deal of weight is attached on the Home' markets to tho graders', certificates, practically the whole of the sales being effected on-this basis. It is therefore 1 of the greatest importance that there should be uniformity of grading through- | out the Dominion,' and you will realise ' that the larger the number of separate grading ports the more difficult it will •bo to maintain this uniformity of grade. I would , point out, too, that the grant- ■ jng of your rejjuest would lead to " similar applications being made'from : other ports, and in fact several applica;r:;i . tarns- bavo • already been received."

A variety, of fino poultry—ducks, fowls, and gcose—for Mr. L. Wilson, of .Teddington, Christcliurch, camo out by the Kuapehu, which arrived in Wellington yesterday. ''At Pongaroa on Saturday last a set- ' tier was fined £30 and about £12 • exi. ' penses for allowing his dogs to worry. 1 a neighbour's sheep, states an excuange.