BUTTER GRADING OPPOSED.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1014, 2 January 1911, Page 8

BUTTER GRADING OPPOSED.

THE AUSTRALIAN STRUGGLE. The long. struggle . concerning the proposal to grade Australian buttar—to'introduce a system of 1 compulsory grading—, has been watched- throughout by New Zenlanders with muqh interest. Commenting on the' enforcement, of grading a. writer in "The Australasian? . eays:—"lt may be expected that "thie new regulations under irchich. grading, butter for. export and grado. marking same is - made compulsory will. arouse_more feeling in New South Wales" than in any other butter-producing State. 1 The grading question has bten thesubject of a long, and ofteii bitter, fight in this State. There has always bsen strenuous opposition to grading under any' circumstances, while conpulsory grading lias been the most flaming of all. red rags, to the party in.opposition'. Go-operation is far-reach-ing in tl'.e dairying industry in" New South Wales,, and the lending'co-operative companies, as well as'the directors managing the factories, who arc nearly all farmers, hate liit grading heavily evevv time it has come to the surface of public discussion. - "The anti-graders liave always contended. that grading hero for. sale abroad was unreliable.-■ They have-vigorously- asserted, that the system has no educational Tesult, and linvq 'consistently supported the theory that, only the grading of cream can'bring about a general- improvement in the quality of, our butter. The leaders on this si<(o have, iri Iho past brought sufficient influence...to bear on Ministers of' the' Crown to scotch-Various schemes which would, if carried out, have' ended in compulsory, grading. - They complain now that the farmers and their leaders were not given - opportunities to place their views before the Federal Government, and tliey assert freely that the new; regulations represent an act of tyranny, 7a that, a system, roundly denounced'by {lis most experienced and most interested people, has been forced upon them." "Against all this the graders say simply that the opposition arises from persons who are fearsome that compulsory grading will expose several weaknesses in the existing system... It is alleged that the grading of cream is only carried, out in cases where there is no clanger of los-, ing supplies, and the consequence-is." that' large quantities of sscond' and third grade butter are made. While the export arid' local trade aro uncontrolled, first grade, can ba partly sacrificed in the interests of the lower grades, and. the general average 6ystcm maintained. Under compulsory grading this, it is held, would be-'impos-sible." The new regulations are not to come into fores until July 1 of this year; Some of. the clauses are new-whilst-others arc amendments of the existing provisions. .Regulation 13 requires that' all boxes not weighing* more than SG,Ub. must lie marked "bare weight." The intention is to induce makers to provide a proper allowance for shrinkage. Margarine must be. conspicuously marked. It is' Regulation 31.which provides for 1 tho' grading, of all export butter and cheese. Second- or third, grade butter or cheese will- not be grade marked, hut iu the cases of superfine and first-grade the outer coverinj; of butter and of cheese

will he stamped with, the grade mark, iiiitter graded at under 75 points is to ho "pastry," and . cneese "below standard." ;': r • A charge ofone foTthing per box of butter will be, charged ,on (ill produce examined. The control of' the Customs is" to bo extelideil to all goods for export.