THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1702, 19 March 1913, Page 10

THE CHEESE INDUSTRY.

DAIRY COMMISSIONER'S CIRCULAR. '• ' A TIMELY WARNING. ' The circular issued last week by. the Director- of the Dairy Produce Division of thu Department of-Agriculture, aiul- entitled "Serious Danger to New. Zealand Chceso Industry," is a document' , of importance which.'should receive the. earnest consideration'of those-responsible for the manufacture, of New Zealand cheese.: It is a timely- warning''to those who .have beeu playing-fast-and-looso with one of tho main -exportable products of the Dominion, and Mr. CuddiO is to bo congratulate;! on tho stand he has taken. I'lie question will •no doubt bo asked by some timid souls whether a proclamation of such alarming import sliouhl 'have, bsOn issued by the'.Chief' of .the. Division, v «ikl ( . further if the-complaints are;-: warranted. It may, .of course, bs urged 'that a. ,(|ifferent course might.hav ( e. been , adopted that would not have entailed such publicity. The answer to any such reasoning is sufficiently convincing to. justify-t'ho somewhat "unusual -• procedure.. In the first place it- ; is fairly, well known- that serious faults have been lodged this year against *our cheese; "—This"fact'- is well known amongst London agents, and therecan bo ny doubt that those Who distribute oiu\oh'igse are also conversant - with'tho 1 laclt of - good .quality. > Iji ■ -follows, - therefore, that' "the English trade are well acquainted with the condition' of- things. This information at the other end, is public property. Surely, then, there can .be no reason why at the producer's end of the business" we should-""not ' publiclydiscuss tlie -advantages of retracing - our 6teps and endeavouring to timely reestablish" "tho reputation' now at" stake. _ • Turning to the circular itself, it' -is stated that the faults complained of may bo attributed to three chief causes,; viz. 4 - (1) inferior milk; (2) ovor-anxiety to increase the yield of'cheese; and'(3) .lack of cool_storage-and - the carriage., of. chccso to tho final port in New Zealand... Now, tlieso faults.with.re-, gard to' a.perisliablo article such, as chceso can be grouped .for ,tho sake of .cbnsidera-, tion under two heads—"the seen and the unseen." The defects of manufacture are the "unseen" factors, and 'can only be determined by expert knowledge.. • The "seen" is'the damage occasioned during .transit,-and can be located - by anyone

possessing a modicum' of common sense. It must'"be admitted that of t tho alwve '* three assigned causes which give occasion ' for the complaints,' jSiJs. 1 and! 2 are the nmin, and the .third is subsidiary, tin-. doubtedly if we are'to make 'a perfect article in quality, aiul deliver 'the same in the markets'of:tho ivorid iii-the-best condition, it follows' that every advantage that science .lias conferred in the manufacture and transport of such goods must be > made available. If any: fault can'be found with Mr; Cuddie's strictures, it is-in the., of ', pointing .out that in a fewterse senten'ces ho passes lightly over the first two causes, and when lie reaches tha ;• third an<l last obstacle he scourges 'all and sunclrv with a whip of scorpions.. Why should those who are responsible for the make of an ' indifferent article bo addressed apologetically, while the ;"o,tlier fellow" is struck ■ with an Australian . boomerang?" , :II; must, bo patent-to-the least' observant : that. if in .the, first place you make an ' indifferent cheese, poor in flavour, open in ' texture," .weak in < body, and unduly , saturated .with ; moisture, however perfect, : your transport may be, it will not im- . prove'-the goods handled. After all, this should be. tho chief, consideration. If in-' ■ fcrior milk is being purchased, and the milking machine is in any way responsible . for this indifferent article, then'immediate' steps should be taken to Temedy this de- • feet. ' If';, on, tile other hand; the'persons responsible for making, cheese aro attempting to produce-an extra" quantity from : each gallon, of "milk, "then such' practices ~ should' bn Checked forthwith. There is . little doubt that ..liiany . .of the coastal N steamers; carrying cheese to the final port of departure/viz., Wellington, are not .'••/.suited for .'this trade. 'Proof of this, it is ... .■ stated,' .lias been, demonstrated again' and ; again this I 'season. From inquiries made, however, ;it''seems likely;' that tha .season of 1913-1-1- wiH ,!yee. a. distinct improvement in coastal ;carri>.ge... The concentration of ; large quantities of cheese, at this, port has rendered, it' imperative that -something should be done to mitigate,.tlle'evils com-, plained' of:..' The:. Wellington Harbour, Board is:.fa)*..be .congratulated' on .'the'..for- : -ward movement ta'ien in the erection ,of a cheese store, :.which, should prove its use- , ..fulness. aifd.val.uo.in .the!very, near future.