The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1904. THE NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 134, 10 June 1904, Page 2

The Daily News. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1904. THE NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

The annual meeting of the National Dairy Association for the South Island, which is one of the regular fixtures in connection with the winter show, is of considerable public interest, says the Otago Daily Times, as affording a reliable index to the present condition and future prospects of one of the colony's most valuable- industries. The president, Jtr Milne, made a comparison between the slow progress of dairying in the- South Island and the rapid advances in the, North, the roasc* being that the North Island settlers were for the most part dairying in bush country, and consequently had not the opportunity for carrying on the mixed farming which is found more profltablo in Otago and Southland. The high prices ruling for frozen mutton have helped to check (lie development of dairying, but Mr Milne's contention was a perfectly sound one that, with the increase of population, the dairying industry must grow apace. And although the North Island has undoubtedly made great strides of recent years in the production of both butter and cheese, yet the boom prices paid for land, especially in Taranaki, must place the North Island dairy farmer at a disadvantage should he find himself face to face with a series of seasons with comparatively low prices ; and the increasing output from the great dairy producing countries of the world, with its consequent competition, renders this a by no means remote possibility. The members of the association had this eventuality well before them, for the principal discussions turned on practical economies calculated to cheapen the, cost of production, without in any way sacrificing quality ; and, what is of even greater importance, on a manifestly necessary increase in the facilities for getting dairy produce speedily and cheaply to the consumer in England and elsewhere. The president urged, among other things, the desirableness of establishing factories for bacon-curing in connection with the dairy industry, so *hat the dairy farmer might be enabled to utilise the by-products to the very best advantage. This is a matter which deserves serious consideration, for tho timo is coming when tho success of dairying in New Zealand will largely depend upon the ability of the dairy farmer to economise in overy possible direction, so that nothing which can be made markctablo in any shape or form shall bo lost. But when the farmer and tho factory manager have done their best to keep down expenses I heir efforts will be negatived unless a similar reduction can bo made In the cost of getting the butter and cheese to market. I'nder this head tho association camo to three important decisions. Two, if not all of these decisions, depend upon tho cooperation of the Government, while tho third is dependent upon the attitude of the shipping companies. Experience has shown the desirableness of meeting the wishes of the shipping companies by consigning ull the butter and cheese for export to one central port, but this only becomes possible when the Government can see its way to make a freight concession on the railway from the factory to tho port selected. If the railway concessions could be satisfactorily arranged, it would be a first step in the direction of approaching the shipping companies to reduce their freight on hjuttcr and cheese to Jd net weight per pound, and it also suggested a Government subsidy with that end in view. Seeing, however, that at existing rates a ton measurement of butter costs Jo's ss, as against an average of £2 per ton on frozen meat, it is possible that the shipping companies themselves will meet the wishes of the Dairy Association without tho necessity of Government assistance. Tho dairy industry has now assumed such proportions that the shipping companies will probably find it to their interest to come to some satisfactory arrangement, more especially as the New Zealand producer Is at the present time handicapped in having lo pay a heavier rate of freight than his Australian competitor. We are also informed that butter and cheese aro handier fo stow as cargo and do not roquiro such care in transit as regards teraperaturo as does frozen meat, and therefore the more, than double rate of freight charged appears on tho sut-face somewhat disproportionate. The other point to which the association has directed the attention of the Government is the increasing cost of butter boxes. and it urges the advisableness of so regulating tho export of white pine that sullicient supplies may be available for tho requirements of the dairy export trade.