THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2168, 5 June 1914, Page 10

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY

PROCRESS IN THE NORTH. PAYING FOR QUALITY.. PItOPOSED SYSTEM OF INSTRUCTION. . . Mr. 11, (i. Hill, general' manager of the .Bristol, and Dominions' * Producers' Association, returned yestordny from tho north where ho attended a meeting of dairy factory representatives at Auckland and also the winter show at Hamilton. Referring to tho show Mr. Hill'stated that ,ho was very much sur.prised at the and excellenco of the exhibits, there being over 4000 entries for. competition besides .an additional 3000 exhibits for exhibition only. Thoro was- no question that the court from tho Kuakura State Farm was magnificent; and it showed .what could be grown on poor land by up-to-date farming. The exhibit of butter .and cheeso was also magnificent and it was ' 'announced that the butter exhibit was the largest at any show yet held in New Zealand; "When it was remembered that Hamilton started its Vinter show only.eight years ago, and had then an exhibit'of three or lour boxes, Mr. Hill remarked, the progress inade was . truly astounding. (Grading Cream. ■ A; good, deal of publicity lias been V given to tho'question of improving; the quality of cream and inilk and paying tov the former according to grade, and . Mr. Hill was asked whether anything had been done at Auckland in connection with this matter. Mr. Ilill replied that a meeting convened by the Northern i\Vairoa Dairy Company was. held in Auckland last month, thoro being present twonty-tliree representatives from the North cf .Auckland dairy companies out of tweiity-fivo invited. Mr. Arthur Morton, chairman of tlio National Dairy Association, presided, by ' inv'itatioii. 'J he result of the meeting, Mr. •Hill considers, marks a l ,big step forward oil the part of the dairy business in r»ew Zealand. The factories represented have either signed-nn agreement or agreed to recommend their directors' to sign, undertaking hr.t to take a supplier frora'ariother company whoso milk or cream has been .refused on account ot its quality. Tho factories have further decided to grade .cream, and pay according to quality, tlins giving. some jncentivo to the man who is prepared to turn out the best article.

/ * A Notable Precedent. . '' At the Hamilton Show, Mr. Hill mentioned;, a further conference, was held, ' one of tlio papers (road by Sir. Valintine, Government Inspector for tlio North; c-f Auckland) /icing on tlio subject of homo separation. ; There was no question, Mr. Hill stated, that it was the most complete and practical paper'that has over been read in NewZealand on this most important subject. Mr. Morton gave it as his opinion that tho North of Auckland companies, by their, agrcemont at Auckland, had established-a-precedent which thorest • of New Zealand could'well-afford to follow, rind ho complimented them on tho progressive spirit'they had displayed. A meeting of representatives of the rest of thd Auckland' factories, was to have been held at Hamilton on 'Wednesday night.-. / ' IThcj result of tho meeting is reported elsewhere in this issue.] '•". , Educating the Farmers. "During tho (discussion which followed:upon the reading of Mr. Valin- . tine's .paper," Mr: Hill went on to remark," "1 pointed out that a remedy had not been'.: suggested for the evil's that existed; in,other, words, assuming that tho factories paid one-halfoenny . per pound loss for second grade cream than tor -first-grade, the idea was not that they wanted, to .buy second-grade cream, but that they wanted.to penalise the man'who sent.it iii'and thus , make him more careful. Mv experience amongst the farmers proves that the large majority of.them are most anxious to miprovo their methods', but, as with evjory other section of-the people it is a question of education.' T therefore suggested at tlio meeting that the Government should appoint instructors who would . each work in conjunction with a certain number of factories within a given area. When any cream was graded second quality the'factory manager, would report immediately to the instructor, who would forthwith pay a visit to tlio farmer in question. By these moans, tho difficulty would be located promptly;' and-as a'result of this system being adopted a marked improvement would be effected in the raw material 'and consequently, a highergrade finished article would be produced. . Personally I do not think the Government should go to 'an vadditional expense for the benefit'of any one section of tho .community, and'-so I suggested that a sufficient, levy should be made against "butter : fat .to reim- . burse the Government for the expense ■ incurred by the apnointmont of instructors. I feel confident of this: That buyers in tho future, whether they are .hero on the spot, or- buying in'the'distant markets, will not pay .the same price for an S3 .noint butter,- as thev will for a 9-1 or'9s point butter. Thus, whatever small expense is.incurred by a system of instruction-and inspection such as I have described would b" more than repaid by the additional urico securi'd for a bettor-class article. "I feel certain," 'Mr.-Hill stated in

conclusion, "that the matter is of sufficient importance ,to •'warrant the Government taking the matter up and (consulting Jho factories concerned) seeing whether some such suggestion as 1 have outlined could not be'adopted. In fact I have mentioned the matter to a largo number of factories as well as at the meeting abovo mentioned, and not one objection has .been raised to the proposal. If something can bo done, perhaps by- going into the matter, during the- Palmerston. Show, I think the industry would benefit to a very considerable extent." ;