THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2127, 9 July 1907, Page 3

THE DAIRYING INDUSTRY.

INSPECTION OF MILK. NEW ZEALAND GRADERS IN LONDON The Minister for Lands and Agriculture delivered a most interesting uldress at the Dairy Conference at Palmerston North, on Juno 19tli. According to the report in the Times, Vlr. McNab said the question of clean milk for the dairy factories was one >f the most important questions. He ,vas in a position to sav that at last i Cabinet meeting had been held especially for liis own purpose. Before last leaving Wellington the Cabinet had decided unanimously to take over

the whole control of tlio inspection of tho rnil'k going to dairy factories from one end of the colony to the other. (Applause.) They had further decided that in view of the importance of the whole industry and if the fact that tho question of clean and healthy milk was not a nuesfcion that affected them alone as producers any more than it affected the consumers, that the industry would not aimers, that the industry itself would not be loaded with tho cost of its inspection. (Applause.) The cost estimated amounted to somethining like £12,000 per annum, and with the exception of a very small sum it would all be paid out of tho Consolidated Revenue, and would not be raised by anything like special taxation. (Applause.) In regard to the registration of dairies it had been decided that the fees charged would be small, practically nominal, so they would have no cause of complaint about anything in the nature of harassing restrictions. With regard to the appointment of inspectors he realised that the success of the whole scheme depended on the class of men appointed—(hear,hear)—and he wanted to tell the meeting plainly that in connection with this large Department, because it was going to be a large one with a great number of ippointhients, he did not intend with i single appointment, that the politician should enter into the matter at all. (Applause.) The men would be selected on the recommendation of the officer in charge, who would have to assure the Minister that those n

commended were the very best that could be got regardless of what their political views were, and • regardless altogether of whether they were recommended or opposed by the member for the district, or the members in all the disticts in the locality.

(Loud applause.) They were there that day. he added, representing every branch of the great farming industry, from the farmer himself to the exporter, and they were naturally interested in seeing that the regulations laid down were properly carried out. Ho knew that when new regulations were imposed there was a jiossibility of friction. This was natural, but he thought they would find that in enforcing these regulations the Department would try to run along for a year or two with a sort of moral suasion to induce producers to try and keep proper premises, and only when they failed, would they resort to anything in the nature of hard means. He was a great believer in this. When a man was shown that it was to his financial interest and to the well-being of the ndustry he was engaged in, he would f the case was properly out- before

him, take such means to improve :he sanitary conditions of his place and its surroundings as would accomplish the remedy, without resoursp to the strong arm of the law. However, where necessary, compulsion would be used. He did not anticipate that for the coming season they would begin registering dairies but they would not on that account defer as much inspection work as they could get qualified men to-do. Probably in the following season registration would bo introduced. Another matter had been before him prominently during the last two months, and he had recently two cables from Home on the matter. One of these arrived two days ago and the other a few weeks earlier. The cable on Monday reported a case where on examination into some New Zealand butter it was found to contain an enormous excess over the authorised quantity of moisture. The previous complaint was that the butter contained on inspection an enormous percentage of foreign fats. That raised a very important question in our industry We wanted to find out where these complaints derived their genesis. All inquiries made at this end of the line of transit had shown that whatever happened the butter was in proper condition when it left the shores of New Zealand. The opinion he ha dformed, shared by the Department experts, was that when the produce arrived in the Mother Country there were influences set at work by those engaged in its sale which branded tbe produce of tbis colony with a name thnt they did not deserve. There must bo at the other end of the line of communication, he said, some person thoroughly in touch with the New Zealand system, to see the condition in which the blitter arrived in the Mother Country. (Applause.)

Such an officer was going to be appointed. His own idea, subject to its approval by the head of the dairy division, was that they should send one of their graders to London, turn about. A grader should be sent there for a period of not more than two years. He would know intimately the work done at this end. and would be able to convey that information and bring it to bear to good account in the proper quarters at Home. He would settle the question of whether, after the butter was graded in this country, it deteriorated on the passage. He would settle the question if whether foregn fat that people were complaining of as being found n New Zealand butter in the Mother Country was in it when it reached here, or was put in after its arrival. Applause.) His own impression was hat it was put into it after it got •here—(hear,hear)—but the colony had no person at Home, who could -.peak with sufficent knowledge of our londitions to bo able to say what had happened. The colony had nobody tliero with the intimate knowledge which only men connected with the Department possessed, or whose evidence would be of any value at all in a Court of justice. The same trouble, said Mr. McNab, had oceured in connection with the meat supply, and it had been decided that one of the graders should be stationed in London. He would have to bo there for about two years, then ho would be relieved by another grader, so that the man in London would always be kept in touch witli the conditions in New Zealand, and the New Zealand graders would one after the other obtain experience of the conditions in the Mother Country. There would be a mutual exchange of knowledge, and he believed the scheme would bo of immense benefit to the industry.