DAIRY CONFERENCE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 374, 1 July 1911, Page 7

DAIRY CONFERENCE.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION MEETING. HOME SEPARATION QUESTION. The annual meeting of the National Dairy Association was held at Palmerston North on June 20th. Forty-nine co-operative companies and seven exporters were represented. Mr A. C. Hubbard, Thames Valley, moved: "That it be a recommendation to the Government that the Dairy Industry Act be amended in the direction of having all butter made by homeseparated cream, branded, graded, exported and sold as such." The mover said his company was not antagonistic to home-separation, but considered the procedure would be for the good of the industry. Factories which had laid down plants were not getting the benefit of them. Factories were turning out a better butter than ever, yet complaints of fishiness continued. The Dairy Commissioner told him the average grade of butter made on the home-separation principle was lower than that of factory butter. Factories should have some protection from this sort of thing. There were three classes of butter now. There should be a fourth —home-separated. Mr T. Bassett moved an amendment, "That the question be left standing until the next annual meeting.." They should prevent any hurried action. Mr Hubbard impiled that fishiness was the result of home-Beparation, but there was no proof of that. His factory handled 75 per cent of home separated, and had gone to much expense to deal properly witb it. Homeseparation companies were holding their own well, as the show prize list showed. What Mr Hubbard proposed

would mean the extinction of many small factories whose butter would have to go Home as milled. Mr F. J. Nathan, Defiance Co. who seconded the amendment, said there was no proof that home separation was the cause of lishiness. It Wus due to lack of cleanliness at the creameries. Cream separated at home twice a day under proper conditio.ns was as clean, or cleaner, than factoryseparated cream. His firm dealt wi<h 33 per cent, of home-separated cream this year, and received a grade higher than before. The proposal would unduly harass the farmer who wa-t not living close by a creamery. If they desired to effect improvements in the quality they should look to the beginning rather than to the London end.

Mr Morton, Mangorei, urged close supervision and strict cleanlineßS. It would be very unfair to penalise farmers using home separators. Mr Marrie, Mangatoki, said men living in remote places should be helped not hindred. as proposed.

Mr Cotter, Master.on said three parts of te cream - handled by his company was home-separated. Yet they secured high grading. Special brand ing would be a great hardship. f > Mr Strapge, Te Aroha, supported the motion. It was unfair that homaseparated should jeopardise the sale of the general product. . Mr Valentine Marlborough, considered grade notes sufficient guarantee of the quality. A special brand would do harm. Mr Robertson said Bunnythorne factory found home-separated cream did not improve the grade. Mr Collis, Kairanga, said he often wished all the cream received was home-separated. Mr Hubbard said postponement would not remedy the present position. All the leading authorities agreed that good keeping butter could not be made under home separation. People did not realise the great injury being - done by the present practise. The man took two cans of cream to a factory and said "Here's a fortnight's gathering!" (Laughter).

THE DAIRY COMMISSIONER'S VIEW. Mr D. Cuddie, Dairy Commissioner at the Chairman's request, said the : question had been giving the department a good deai of concern. It was admitted by the experts that good work was being done under homeseparation. Several factories * using home-separated . bad kept their grade over ninety all the season. But if they judged by the poorest results obtained home separation would be damned straight away. It was becoming a menace, but much could be done by insisting on prompt delivery of cream. He disapproved of branding the home-separated product, but asked opinion as to adhering to the system of classifying according to quality irrespective to how the butter was made. They should establish a special class of "first-grade extras - " Home separation was £oing to spread all over New Zealand by and bye.— Hear, heat. —He was sorry to see it, in a way, but to put a special mark against the butter would be to pass a tar brush over their own coast. — Hear, hear. The amendment was carried by a very big majority. The Chairman said Mr Cuddie's suggestion seemed particularly good. In reply to questions Mr Cuddie said that the new grade could be started with 91 as a minimum. Something must be done if the industry were to be properly protected. If found necessary the standard could be raised later on when the quality improved. Mr Bell, Tamaki, moved that the Commissioner's suggestion ". be ap-; prnved. Mr Marse moved as an amendment that the standard be 90.

After further discussion, Mr Cuddie said he did not suggest raising the grade but simply to add another special one on top. It really meant putting "choicest" on butter grading over 91.

Mr Pearson, (Pearson and Rutter,) said from the exporters' viewpoint the new grade Bhould start at 92, so as to make a marked distinction between "superfine" and the merely "fine." Mr Dixon, Thames Valley' moved that the new grade be for 92 points and over. ' The Dairy Commisisoner opposed this as too high for a start. After a great deal of discussion the meeting decided to affirm the principle of the Commissioner's proposal, leaving the pointß to be fixed later.