DAIRY REGULATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 4, 29 January 1909, Page 4

DAIRY REGULATIONS.

CAUELESS METHOD,S. Mr. Joe ii. Simpson, of Maketawu, writes to the editor as follows:—My previous letter re above ha a evidently caused a mild commotion amongst a goodly 'number of dairy-farmers; and it seems that in the opinion of many I have committed a very heinous crime iu (hiring to speak truth and speak straight. 1 have been in receipt of all sorts of threats, from bodily damage lo damage to property in the shape of burning my cowshed'down! Now, it makes one wonder with what sort of animal certain so-called dairy-farmers can be classed when such childish actions and such foolish threats are sent forth. "A guilty coiucicm-e nei'ds «o accusing.'' However, threats or actiims of any description will not deter me from what l consider a public duty, and more especially when J know that right, might, and truth are 011 my side.

I wish to inform those who chose to lit any of the caps indicated in my lirst letter that they are welcome to do *O, but they slioulu at the same time make sure they get the right one; al all event?, 1 am not going to be sipielched when I know 1 am right!

I did not mention in my lirst. onethird of the careless actions (hat haw come under my notice; if 1 were to write about what has been told me 1 could lill columns with tilings Unit have occurred within recent year.-., ami which, it is safe to assume, have nol altered in any way for want of >npem.->iim— tin* kijul of supervision which I hope will be enforced under the dairy regulations proposed. It is most amusing to hear how some argue thai they don't want inspectors to teach Ihem Imw to milk, etc., because they have been at the game from fifteen to forty years, and so on—the .number of those is surprising; yet year in and year out the Dairy Departni'cal reports are constantly pointing out the importance of cleanliness in handling and better buildings, etc.. regarding milk showing a leakage somewhere. as further evidenced ill the grader's remarks anent class of butter, and. closer home, the actions of tho.se managers who take interot iu their : work by insisting on having lirst-class stiii)' to work with! If a man is doing his best, what ha-, he 10 fear from inspectors '! Kather he should welcome lite new >y>tem. because thereby he will 1101 Mill'tr for the careless and slovenly methods of a few. Surely they can see a benefit there.

"J don't want any man coining teaching me—don't want them on the place.'*' is 0:10 cry; yet they agree, when they join a factory, to the by-law giving the manager power to inspect buildings, herds, etc. They will accuse managers of unfair methods at the factories, and God help the manager if he were compelled to "sit on"' some,whose buildings and system, etc., were complained about. If they agree to the manager as inspector (per by-law), why object to inspector per State? Is it because the one they can coerce per majority vole, and the other they are helpless against, being baoked by Jaw* Surely a pretty state to be in! 1 remember, when the Noxious Weeds : Act was introduced, how certain farmers howled and squealed about it, but now. through bcnelits received, are its strongj est supporters; but I cannot undcr--1 stand how men appointed directors of ■ dairy companies are to be found opI ponetits of a proposal which can do nothing but confer lasting benefit 011 their individual factory and the industry in general. The said persons will howl about the country going to the dogs per Government actions, but it shows how little they care for the welfare of the country when their pocket i- likely (o be touched in providing the proper requisites for the production of some of the articles which keep the colony alive, and it also shows they have not studied the dairy question as the position demands. "What tluy do puzzles nie; and yet such companies will average anywhere from live j.o nine, and if it takes all of them to haggle with the dealers re price, pass a few accounts, and give the chairman a substantial cheque to attend some conference, which results in no good to the individual supplier, when things closer home should be attended to first, then I do not wonder at the said individual supplier being the "mug" lie is. 1 noticed a while back that the different bacon pig buyers were askingGovernuu'iit to have inspection of pigs, and gave sullicieut reasons to cause the .Minister to at once decide to have such inspection. Well, all 1 can say is, that it has not been started a minute too soon, and I am sure the reports of inspectors, it they were to at once take the matter in hand, would almost rival the ••Jungle'' revelations! It seems a "tough" statement to make, but facts are stubborn things, though 1 shall not just now go into detail as to that matter.

In <iii(» report from tin l Agricultural Department iv improvement of farm building- |! think it was l'.Wl} tin* hayloft was condemned on account of the contamination of tin- liny. The old-time farmer pooh-poohed the suggestion, making great tun of the idea that such could spread or cause disease. J mice had occasion to go into a friend's hayloft one evening wliiU- between fifteen and twenty cows were bailed up underneath. A considerable quantity of hay had been used, and wo needed a candle; the fioor was a close-boarded one with openings along each side, to drop hay to the cows. The lighted candle looked like a. tiny'spcck of llanie in a thick fog. and the siueJJ was jinythiji»* lull pleasant. Surely common-sense would show that it was not good for cows to be fod on hay which had been absorbing such air. Agreeing with thai, why should the farmer raise Cain when asked to, when making alterations, delete the loft altogether? Science has shown us something in connection with the silo; thirty or forty years ago farmers would have laughed to scorn such methods, as they did when tlie separator was first invented and advertised. In many other ways has scientific investigation benefited the farmers, and they have been glad to avail themselves of tlu; knowledge gained by experiment-; but when science touches on the milk question I lie old farmer of years ago and the voung one trained to do -as 'Tevther did" will not listen, but keep in the same old rut. Printed advice, ocular proof, experienced talented investigators, are at his disposal, yet the cry of the graders year after rear has been for more cleanly habits'in milk-production on the farm. And the latter can back their request by producingppre r laboratory experiment convincing proof that they are right; yet the man for who-c benefit these things are dune will elose his eyes and ears and go his own sweet way. We have to compete against older countries closer to our market, and their methods must be adopted, and. it' possible, improved upon by us, else we go lo the wall: haggling about old-lime methods ami each individual wanting hi* own idea to be the best will never do: uniformity is? wanted everywhere, and the sooner they recognise that and settle down to get it, the quicker perfection will be attained, and through that (hey are going (<> benefit. f? the farmers of Denmark gained M per cent, benefit through inspection, why should we not do Die same? We can beat them in tin l long run if we pull logelher. Those who eat have a riirht to know that what: I her use is absolutely pure. What would the dairv-fariners say if they saw their butcher handling meat with hand* covered with dirt and clothes used at a boiling-down works, or their bal>er pounding dough with hands and clothes like those of an engineel ea ner? Everyone knows that work among cows needs great eare to be able to produce a pure article. Tan each and every supplier to different factories guarantee that lie doe* so in the face of th» reports of instructors, graders, factorymanagers, and scientific experts? There is a big want somewhere, and the only remedy is bv appointing inspectors, who may. perhaps, be able to point out in the dairyman some one thing and lh" one thing onlv he had overlooked which had caused him worry and wonderment. "Can we be guaranteed that thes« men are competent?" savs one. Well, hang it, all. there's sufficient evidence during the past three or four years showing n radical improvement is necessary: so come into line with your assistance and help; time will prove, and where you are cursing now*, in a little while you Wirt l>V'?s!

The Stale >- simplv providing a menus whereby ihe ctivvfnl man is prnterled against the careless uue bv making Hie latter come into line. competent authority estimates (hat )h',' butter 'producers last season lost somewV.cre near tKft.OOfi lhvon<_ r h second"raded IVaiter. Was the loss through (lie managers or how?

"Regarding the managers being sufl'ieient inspectors, T ask anvone would tliey like to bo contiminilv complaining to the farmer that So-and-so was milking and using ihe milk from a cow with a cancer in the eve. dial Mr. X.'s shed was in a terrible state, or that another's pigs were eating one another through starvation, or that the whole neighborhood was simply overpowered from the stench of dirty styes and from the bodies of calves lying dead for days within twenty yards of the road or a dwelling; oj' in form in Lr rj'iiei to hi^Bte|^^|

had cut their tails right oil', or had washed cans in water in which. meat had beeu boiled, and such like little capers? They wouldn't care lu lie doing it, though knowing it lo have been don", and tiro ready to talk around their carls about it and inake remarks like "tin oughb to bo shot," "lie ou»l»l to-be and such like idiuliu .speeches. ■Some May argue that "we- have graded 81) or M or so without inspection, etc., and there is no need I'or the new proposal," and all that, but how can they get behind the fact of can after can of milk being sent back, complaint after complaint about one thing ami another from managers, report after report from Departmental oflicers, all on the one thing—lack of clean methods? As showing the importance attached to producing pure milk, etc., an extract Irom a Home will not come amiss, and also strengthens the action of our Department in being up-to-date in that respect:—"Professor Delepine, of the Manchester University, has, after exhaustive experiments and investigation extending over twelve years, astonished and convinced doctors thai unclean milk is the cause of severe diarrhoea. internal abscesses, eruptions, etc.. and a complete revolution regarding milk-production is asked for in the Old Count ry. M

Start ling revelation- are promised when the report is published shortly. 1 wonder if the old-time farmers' methods, of milking have had much to .lo with the spread, of cancel' in this and other colonies. \\\> can. all wonder. I have known milkers who loathed the sight of ; milk in lea or anything else—why* I have seen several at work, and though 1 ask the <]uesliou, I know the reason! Then, again, per Belfast llrehinil) paper. I notice a Sanitary Committee has been appointed to devise means to get a purer supply of milk and milk products, and —mark this, opponents of State in-spection-are showing the farmers how. As still further showing the importance attached to the dairy industry in all its branches and the necessity for radical improvement, a recent report by the 1 Health Oliicer nf the Chester City' Council (Dr. A. K. Thomas) is very iuterestj ing. years ago he initiated a vigor- ! oils crusade against carelessness of milk* suppliers, aad he savs: "('ion-eral nncieanliness of the hands, linger-nails, face, and skin, filthy habits during milki»if. and the use of soiled clothes, are conducive to unclean milk."' Complaints are made regarding the slate of the cowsheds and the condition of the animals. etc.. and the doctor's account of the lilth he luis found in so-called "pure milk" seems to warrant his suggestion for stringent regulations as to the milk supply. What obtains in certain places hi the Old Country applies to the colonial, and we must be lip to date in all items, or our industry is going to suffer; it is no use cavilling about it, cither. The competition we have to face now, and the increase of competitors in our own particular industry in the near future, calls for a radical improvement at once, and those who by their obstinacy delay the attainment of the uniformity required are simply standing in their own light and helping to bring a slump which will mean more than they can imagine.

The London County Council, controlling several millions of -people, have started a more rigid inspection of farms, the farmers, and all things appertaining to the supply of dairy produce sent in to the city—why? As we sell in the London market it must be apparent to all how necessary it is that we can guarantee aw absolutely pure article. Suppose a combination of dealers were, for purposes of their own, to decry our methods, hmv would we fare with regard to the public who. use our butter and cheese? The slump of the bonedbeef trade should bean eye-opener. T tell you again, brother dairyman, science has got on the job, and you can't go "agin it." so come into line to get the uniformity required. Though you may not, perhaps, think it, there is good reason for the agitation, and the quicker you individually help the better for all. If four years' notice that the proposed inspection was to be is not sutlieient, what do you want?