OUR INDUSTRIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 203, 22 May 1919, Page 6

OUR INDUSTRIES

p; ~ DAIRY"FARMING CONCERNS , v'IS&EASE OF PRODUCTION ' /•'• .CASEIN MANUFACTURE ; ■■■'' . '' I -'The Parliamentary Industries Commitj ' Wellington yesterday. Mr. H. j; 'Poland 'presided. ■ AY. M. Singloton, Assistant Director of ! tho Dairy Divisiou of tho 'Agricultural ! Department; gave evidence regarding tho j : dairy herds of the Dominion and tho posj- . sibility of increasing production. Ho said I tluit the total number of dairy, cows in j -tHe'country was 793,215 in. 1918. It wa:> ! difficult foT a number'of reasons to get ! accurately the production per cow. It | was estimated that tho production per | Oow in 1916-17. was 161.81b. of butteri , fat, having increased from 142.11b. j in-six years. -In the year 1910-17 it was : i estimated that this incl'ease was worth I >21,276,000 to tho Dominion. In.tho early j dsys holdings wero bigger, and tho Shortly horn, was tho predominant breed, as it pv- Jstill was. But at was now held that if ! :'the Shorthorn was to keep this positions' must segregate the milking strains, In America it was accepted that jthe special purpose dairy breeds would (•' . produce butter far cjieaper than tho j - Shorthorn; and he mentioned among them •Terseye, Friesians, and Ayreliires. Al- !, ready in New Zealand it was found that

i ;in districts of high land values,- such as j Taranaki, the special purpose dairy !- breeds were in larger'proportion as comj paied with the general purpose breeds 1 lika the Shorthorn. It .was contendedjin JV behalf of -tho Shorthorn and the general jy purpose breeds that the calf was worth j;. more and the cow was,worth more if not !;• required longer for dairy purposes. He t ' iejeeted this contention, showing that the !• . , higher production fof butter-fat at lower , cost in iced aohieved by the special dairy r : greeds more than made up for these adi vantages in the general purpose breeds. f : Ho mentioned as among the difficulties f , in New Zealand the, fact that bulls wero not carefully bred, 'nor were bulls kept ! • long enough to determine whether their !: progenv ' had good butter-fat reoords. j . Only 13 per cent, of tho bulls of v tlio country were purebred. Also, a -scry I email proportion of bull calves were rear- | cd. The work of the testing associations j.:.'."of breeders had already done much to imj ' prove the l>utter-fat records of herds, f::, partly by the selection ot' : bulls from !■ proyed milking strains. ■ They, had also enabled the breeders and dairymen' t'o ■'! concentrate'on their best strains, and rei j tain the progeny for. their own herds. The effect of careful breeding had been to improve tho productivity of herds by j.: .Improvement of progeny by the uso of '■ bulls of proved milking strains. Difficulties in Practice. ■ To Mr. Luke: I'n some cases it uiight ba that the cost was a bar to the small farmer .'obtaining good sires to use, but i Ke thought that if ; the testing business j. were carried on more .widely there would be available a larger number of good i. butter record sires, and there would-be, . he thought, for all of them. ' He did not think, that the export trade development was yet jeopardising eupplies'of milk cities and'towns. ~ > j'l To ' Mr. Hudson: In some cases agiv' j : cultural, shows helped.'towards the de- ; -velopmoht of good types, especially when 'there.wore .'classes, for dairy cows. .The j ' Government was giving the farmers sood | . assistance in authenticating the rests

:' .-carried out by the. associations. This was the most valuable, help possible. These (associations offered to farmers j bulls of proved and if farmers ■ were in too small a way they could club' [\ together to. buy tails. . ■ - 'To Mr. Craigie: It was certain that i the more comfort given to'cows the better for-'thtr milk yield. But what was more ! required, it seemed to him, in the dairy ; , • districts, was more energy -.ather thaii i more knowledge. He admitted that there !■ was now, and had beon for como years. ' a shortage of labour—that farmers and their'families often did more than could :■ be considered "a fair thing"—and that with more labour more could be done to, I increase dairy production. i To Mr. Poland: The main work of the ' Government to. assist dairying,was the testing of purebred cows for the nssoew- . tions. The Government had popularised Vtlie J'riesian 'breed in New Zealand. No stock had been imported, by the iJovenij ment-since 1912. Perhaps the campaign for systematic testing had. not been so i , fierce, as it might have been, but lack ! of labour in the war period had been one i of "the obstacles. 'He admitted ' lhat with | more instructors the ignorance.of farmers } (is to the 'Value of testing might be over- | come.''- Already tho Department had. in- ■ 6tructed'one of the inspectors to do this i sort ;ofv work in. backward districts. Ha i'' agreed'' that' the best place to meet a i farmer'whs on his farm/and that half an | ' hour's "talk, with a farmer on his .farm might do far more good than much talk f at annual meetings of associations. I"arf. mera were too busy to take much note j:> of talk at meetings. He believed, that :. the . higher yield per cow in Taranaki Tvas largely duo to the use of t-pecial-,L , purpose cows', but also.-no doubt, i-ertly ■ \ due .to , t.hQ .better pasture of the Tara- '• naki'district. • ■ Stamping Machines, 'H. A. Huggins, Accountant to the Post' Office, gave evidence regarding,the use cf automatic stamping machines, introduced j by the Government in 1905. and permit- | fed in New, Zealand ever since. The at- ! , tirade of the Depdrtment to the machine ( ,was-neutral. It was. recognised .that it I t was a great convenience to business peopie, and for this reason the Department } had.overlooked defects in working, as afi fecting'the' requirements of the Depnlt- ; menfc ""The machine had been improved ! ■utftil.no.w'ijhero was a very small chance roT .the' Department being defrauded. It i, 'Was calculated that the-use of the 520 ( snachines no\fr in New Zealand involved ! . ail extra expenditure, in nvages of about j. '£1200. <Llc, considered that the Departf been very fair regarding the use if tho machine. j' ' To. Mr., Hudson: If tho Department j suggested, a charge-'for tho use of a ma- ! chine he- was afraid that the 'business j ■ people would be up in arms. They were •no in arms now bccausc they were not i allowed commission on ! impressions made '.*. by the machines in lieu of stamps, i .To Mr. Hornsby. The Departmentpould ■ not think of talcing over machines which were of no benefit to itself. It could not

.enter, into a business which was against ' 11a own interest. l !. It was admitted that • helped business people, and the-Department therefore permitted its .use;i No; proposition had been made to Department s take over machines. To 110 did not think : it .vjould ever be a good proposition to i . the Duriartnient to tako the machines 1 / Mirer. The system-of affixed stamps was y' efficient".' and better united to tb*s Deff Apartment's working. He did not admit that;-there was considerable liability to fraud owing to stamps of high value be- ■ y ing'clp;tned and used again. "I might say," lie said, ".that all the-cleaning dons ifc Germany." lie added that if high value stamps wero put on the rnaI chines there would'be'; more danger of fraud than by any process of cleaning Adhesive stamps. He did not think much i fraud was' perpetrated now. Sometimes I machines went out of order. Ahvaya it | • was'Tcjjorted when a machine was overI registering, anil some firms did report wiien a machine ■ wf>s< undcr-registeriug. The Department Recognised the convciri- •' ; enco to the..public by licensing the 11m- ' . chine 3, which for other reasons it did i ' not want. He did not see why the Gov- : eminent should make itself responsible for the _ manufacture of machines, and j - take tliis_ business over from the com-' i pany, which had. made a Mure of it. j JJr. Newman: 1 can't see why the State i s should loso .£I2OO "and probably a great i ' deal more by the use of these machines. "The bedrock known loss is ,£I2OO a year. It may be much more, Making of Casein, j. _D. Cuddie, Director of the Dairy Divi--1 sion of the Agricultural Department, ■ .gave erridence. Ho was asked to give en •' opinion as (o the'validity of'tho patent \ ' lights secured by the Wanganui com- ;■ pany for the manufacture of casein, ; out he —declined to express an opin-. ipn on • a legal., question. It was a pity; he thought, that the patent, had j over been granted. In his opinion it j need' not have been. The patent was i taken out in New Zealand by a German i representative, but before tiio war tho ! rk'hfs had become the property of the ; Nib? Zealand Government.

! Mr. Wilkinson: Is it not n. fact that tho conditions under which casein may be made is that tlio manufacturer has to pay a royalty of ,£2 a tan on manufactured casein if the product is sold through Joseph Nathan and Co., and .£5 a ton if it. is sold in tho open market? Mr. Cuddio: Yes, I believe those are the conditions under which'tho company is prepared to allow business to he done. 'Mr. Hornsbj: Isn't that a violation of the law of this country in connection with restraint of trade?

Members of the committee discussed informally the question of whether the patent, being German, was not forfeit to tho Government, but it was generally agreed that seeing that tho patent was now held by a New Zealand company, this.forfeit would not apply Mr. Cuddie 6aid that when the patent was applied for tho Department took tho matter up in ample time, and warned tho National Dairy Association to object to. the patent. The Department was assured that this would be done, but it ■ was not done. It was possible to make casein by other processes, but not such good casein, and the cost of manufacture would be higher. The industry was a small one in Now Zealand. Mr:- Wilkinson: But the industry has bten under a cloud up till new. J. 1 ers are just gotting interested 111 it. Thore is no doubt in my mind that the manufacture of casein should be as free as that for any other, nnlk product. ~ , Mr. Cuddie: Of course, a royalty of i£s a ton is an enormous handicap on the taking up of the industry under this patent. It is prohibitive. Members generally expressed the opinion that ■ the matter should bo cleared In reply to' Mr. Luke, Mr. Cuddio said that it was generally accepted that the dairy herds of this country were the healthiest in the world. On" Building Houses. E, AY. de Montalk, architect, said that there was no doubt that houses could be ereoted-in permanent materials at no greater cost -than., the present, rates for ""building .'in .wood, provided only that sufficient capital were fouud to deal with the enterprise on a lair scale. He suggested that the use of such materials instead of timber would be for the economio f?ood of the community. and would assist m the .conservation of our timber supplies. He indicated a policy which might be followed by the Government to ensure the . >e of permanent materials for all bl "^ l 'P»'V AH that was necessary was a sufheiei sum of money to procure a. proper plMit. Ho estimated that a gocld four-roomed house, with: all fittings « nd nil sanitary conveniences ot tlio obtainable," eould Mect^, in ,™« 8 for from .£550 to probably for iSOO, by his method. ' , . ~,. , 'He supplied to the wmmission fte iollowing description of his method. system of concrete building comprises. four methods of, which it is proposed to adopt but o Tfc r>re*ent. A complete builcluio, the w-aUs partitions, floor, stairway ami roof is constructed vfitli the use _? f . \ t parts only, one part being a slab at rig alleles to which is a- wob, or fuin D •• « web portion/is either a wall slab, a flo slab, roof slab, or a stairway and the web or flango is the stud, joist, rafter, or riser, as the case may retire. W rafter may be a Bepavato piece inolder to take a difierent method of ioohng, whilst a joist may be a separate piece where it is desired to have ci wooden floor instead of concrete. Ihe othei pai is a slab which inny-be «sed slab either inside or outside/and forma thd other side of the wal before de ; scribed; or it may be used asroo: slab or tile. As a wall slab it i» f aalcne A!' J steel to tho stud web or flange, and the ioint between .the slabs is cement? mortar. ■ Tho ° ulsld Veas may bo finished to represent rouJi-ca»t or smooth 'plaster, as also roiiji smooth masonry. The inside of walk v 11 be. plastered, but provision is made b take wood panelling where ' ths i is i. sired. Floor Pieces arc eminentb s<m able for the floors of «hope,, olfi. « warehouses, and are placed in c.. o in a most, simple manner, can be> P"t > without the use of framing or fake voll. nnd as the parts are factory-made a m seasoned beforehand, the floor'mav be made lull use of as soon as it is laid. I is said' that a fireproof ? n ,, t erected, otherwise for similar finish, but at the same cost as a good, wooden building. '

The Coal industry! H J H. Blow, Secretary for Mines, was' asked to give endence Wing the carriage of coal from the.AVest Coast, •with special reference to the whether it would lie cheaper to cany the coal in State steamers. His,evidence on these matters was taken in con ' ml , l: , Ha said that the present «hon«e of coal was due to lack of miner!. iAeiy rainin" companv in Zealand vas short of minors. Tho Government did not construct : brniich lines to mines. Tlmt cost had always to le .home by the*companies, xle.kne*. m minn on the West Const asking for in ways, but if these mines were ipow<l not an extra ton of coal, could lw p o duced. The shortage ot miners would not be overcome. The Govcrniii''nt iuv prepared to sell oj.lure vaijs to Jies« companies. Not a. single application ioi purchase or hire had been declin d To Mr. Luke: It was found that 111 New Zealand coal-mining was a iierec.itary occupation. Very few new men cuHudson: Except ill war-time Mr. Blow: it is true that during the war coal-iuining being one of the exempted occupations, there were new nen going into the mines. It was ■ he said, that more men did not go into the mines, in view of the nigh wagoc. paid. The-number of men ongageil in mining was decreasing It seenud tha, the conditions were fairly, attractive now Truckers obtained from IBs. to dl n tuiy, -surely a high price for. young men ve.quiring no training and no skill. Lmnt conditions were not good in pome mining townships, but they were good at the State mines, and yet the k lato "V n f.. w ?£ short of 100 miners. It was difhcult to seo how more could be donij to attract men to the mines, buit piobably something would have, lo be done. i-\ en if the rates of earnings, hart to He increased. , , , , ... Questions were asked us ? wh> ttu> Government hnd declined opplicatioßß or aid from Byndicates at Sfddonv.llc, and what the Department had advised but these questions iir. Blow «ouW not answer. It was pointed out that tho mines in question could produce -030 ton D a week. Seedsmen's Grievances.

H. C. Gibbons and other representatives of fhe see<l trade-in New Zealand appeared to givo evidence, lhey asked for duties against foreign seeds prepared and packed ready for sale, and iorrelease from duty of certain printed matter such as catalogues. Packets of seed canio in free of duty, but if a New Zealand p.eedsman wanted empty packets for las own seed he had to pay duty on them, ]'\ E. Cooper also asked for protection for the seed-growing industry in New Zealand.