The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 7. BUTTER GRADING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 332, 7 March 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 7. BUTTER GRADING.

The statement recently cablet! Irom Australia that, in the opinion of a conference of butter factory delegates, butter grading was a failure in the Commonwealth and New Zealand, has naiurally caused a good deal of surprise in the Dominion. The New Zealand Dairyman never ceases to condemn the grading system in this country, and the Australian delegates, in giving expression to such a sweeping opinion, must have taken the lugubriations of the journal mentioned as representing the views of those best qualified to speak of the conditions in New Zealand. The "Dairyman," however, on this matter at any rate, sees with only one eye. There can be no questioning the great improvement that has been brought about m New Zealand by the State graders. The cable in question was submitted to Mr J. R. Scott, the wellknown secretary of the South island division of the National Dairy Association, and in expressing regret lor the ibutter industry in New South Wales because tlios'e interested declined to accept a proper grading system, he mentioned that there had never been a proper grading system in operation in any part of Australia, excepting possibly in Queensland, and the advance in quality of Queensland butter was most marked. It took all the prizes at the Royal Australian Show. The quality has immensely improved under State grading. The system, such as it is, may have been a failure in Australia, but it lias been an unqualified success in New Zealand, as is instanced by the fact that our butter prices are always 4s above Australian prices, and no further proof of the value of conscientious and systematic grading could lie desired. The Director

of the Dairy Division of the Departmnet of Agriculture, Mr D. Cuddie, jinurvieweil on the subject by a New Zealand Times reporter, s'aid: "Instead of the system being a failure in this cointry, it has been a thorough success from the time it. was introduced in 1894. The number of complaints received against it have been almost infinitesimal for years past, and the leading men engaged in dairying througnout the Dominion candidly admit that it has' been the means of raising the standard of quality. The producers and. merchants are evidently well satisfied with the method. As proof of this, ; t may be mentioned that practically the whole of the dairy produce purchased' for export is arranged for on the basis of the Government certificate, which is accepted by both buyer and seller. Large quantities of New Zealand butter and cheese are sold in Great Britain 011 the grade certificates and marks, and the system is highly spoken of by many of the principal produce dealers at Home The New Zealand dairy farmers would not entertain the idea of the grading of dairy produce being discontinued, as it is a- protection alike to them as well as to the merchants."