Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1909. THE WINTER EXHIBITION.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4409, 11 May 1909, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News AND TUESDAY, MAY 11, 1909. THE WINTER EXHIBITION.

The date fixed for the opening of the winter exhibition, the 24th inst., is rapidly approaching, and the Committee is fully absorbed ip the work of completing the arrangements. Regarded in the light of a spectacular display, the exhibition promises to be a consummate object lesson in our agricultural industries. As compared with the splendid exhibibition of two years ago, the present effort serves effectively to show what

rapid strides have been made. The educational opportunities attaching to so immense a display of agricu’tural, mechanical, and industrial products are to be taken fullest advantage of, for the schools are to attend in their turn, and our youth will thus be stimulated by the representation of the various forms of wealth to which honest toil opens the way to each and every Dominioner From the butter-box archway to the flower show and the mus'c which is to be a leading feature of the exhibition (for music is to enliven the afternoons and evenings), the whole range of our Dominion’s life is to find a happy exposition. Light refreshments will be obtainable in the building from nine o’clock in the morning until closing time, so that country and suburban visitors will be provided for in this important respect. The dairying industry naturally ranks among the foremost. We should be disposed to suggest that in connection with this Industry Mr Herries’ recent observation that the dairy industry was “carrying the whole of the Dominion on its back.

boxes of factory butter tor export are the subject of competition. In this class the number of entries is the same as in 1907, namely 29. These two classes are open only to competitors in the Auckland district, as is the export competition among members of the Auckland Dairyman’s Association only, for which there are 15 entries The class for a box of butter manufactured under the most favourable conditions being open to the whole Dominion, several Southern entries are among the 23 competitors. In the class for export butter manufactured inside the Auckland province there are eight entries, Altogether there are 106 entries in the export classes in butter and 36 in the export classes in cheese. This in itself is a telling exposition of the position of the Auckland Province with regard to the oversea market. At the time farmers’ butter and fancy butter will be well represented. The conferences which are to be held in connection with the Winter Show are of equal importance with the Show itself. The presence of Mr D. Cuddie (the Chief Dairy Commissioner) at the meeting of the Auckland Dairyman's Association, to be held on the §stb, will afford opportunity for important and illuminatory discussion. The Tuesday’s meeting of delegates, representing all the district, agricultural, and pastorial associations in the Auckland province to consider a scheme for a general amalgamation, should be fruitful of lasting results. The conference of the Railway League, to be held on Wednesday, and also the conference of the various County Councils of the province tq tffp question of rating on native land and other business within their scope, will, it. is to be hoped, arrive at something definite with regard to the much vexed railway queition and the qupsfiop affecting the Fftting of native landsWhile the conference of butchers and graziers will be engaged in dig* cussing the proposed institution of an insurance scheme to cover their losses in condemned stock. The Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union will bold their annual conference on Thursday and Friday Thus the Winter Exhibition is made the occasion for discussion of those subjects which sq intimately affecf; lb 6 farmPFS— diapqssjon in winch our agriculturalists, by their distance from each other, are somewhat seriously restricted. The results of these conferences will no doubt bring about a general improvement in the conditions which have done much to impede our agricultural advance. NOTES AND COMMENT

A good deal lias been said an 1 wrjttejj of lste cqnoppiii|g *fje nlj j i *']iov*hu(,, questiftn qf “ A|qisturc iff Bni't e L n TUf question ig indeed a serious one, and it is the duty of I'uttor Moistuk* Factories throughout Now In Zealund to see that they Butt Fit run no risk by having their butter oonfis'ated through over-moisture. Under date, London, 19th March, tlm following letter has been received by the local Comp my. and will doubtless be read with interest. The letter reads:

“ The questian of mqiy'qro jq Now Zoaland Butter ifl getting a pretty serioin one, and we oan in oonHdenoe toll you that some of the factories are loading tlnir butter up too much. Wo have come across ono factory which goes over 17 | tv cent., but fortunately neither you nor we are interested in the importation of this factory, but. it, means this that New Z ■ iland Hotter will get an indifferent name, if there is excessive moisture because the buyers will bn afraid to put it qyer t|pi fjopiiter aqd handle it, the authorities hepig so very tjtriet. TJfore is also thjs point, that if Customs hftppep to drpp upon some qf these boxes whep they nrnbejng Ippded, the butter be cqnjjsca'ed, aqd tips would bp a vpry sprjop(t bpnjptJb« for all concerned, Wo ipay here explain the system, The Cu toms authorities have men standing at the side of the ship, and at the docks taking samples. They divide the sample into three, one portion being retained by themselves, ono poition being sent to the importer, and the third portion being sent to n public analyst. If on analysis, that butter is found to

contain more than 16 per cent, of moisture, that butter is confiscated. A good many of the tra- 4 e also, all over the counti y, have found that the butters are running close up to, or a little ver the 16 per cent., and also that the butters are not such good weigh' as formerly, and this matter was brought up afca Com ,,, ittee| Vleeting of the Home and Foreign Produce Exchange a little time ago, and the . names of several factories were mentioned. The writer whs on this Committee. It shows j’ou which way the win I is blowing and you will find tbe Australian representa* tives and Argentine agents will not be slow to take any advantage of tbe.-e points, should they become too public.

You must be very discreet, in using this information which we pass al ng, because we have to keep very quiet on this question of moisture, as if we were to say anything on this side, or let it leak out, then the Customs Authorities and all the various inspectors all over the country would be watching for any particular brand or brands w ich were doubtful, and tbe retailer would always be held in suspense!. There have been quite a number of cases reported in the Press all over the country, within the last month or two, for excess of moisture, for Continental Butters, not Colonial The Magistrates up to the present have been fairly lenient, the fines generally being from 40s up to £lO, but one of tbe Heads of the Board of Agiiculture told the writ or a few days since, when he happened to meet him in the City, that the Board of Agriculture and the Customs Authorities were going to be more strict than they have ever been before, and in this connection you must bear in mind that one of the great prints which was put forward time after time, when the evidence was beiug given before the Commission with reference to adulteration, was that in Colonial butter the moisture rarely exceeded 12 per cent., and the limit of 16 per cent., was then thought by quite a few Members of Parliament and some Members of the Commission, as being rather too high, so that our Colonies will get no sympathy from those people who were acting on the Commission, or the Board of Agriculture, if when cases come before them, they find they have got up to and above 16 per cent., because they will realise that this is done purposely. In the old days, you will remember that some of the New Zealand and Victorian Butters only showed as little as 9 per cent. We are not suggesting that they should get back to this low level, but please impress upon everyone with whom you come in contact, that it is to their o\yn interests to keep it belo\y lfl ppr cent, Do not lot any factory g*-t * had name through someone being summoned on account of butter containing an excess of moisture. If wphl4 he a very serious thing indeed foraU-fas,