DAIRY PRODUCE STANDARD.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 June 1921, Page 3

DAIRY PRODUCE STANDARD.

USE OF MILKING MACHINES. GOVERNMENT SUPERVISION URGED. That factory managers generally throughout the Dominion are keenly alive to the necessity of taking every step to ensure that nothing is done to jeopardise the high reputation of New Zealand dairy produce was evidenced by a discussion which took place at the annual meeting, when considering the following remit provided by a general meeting of the. Association held at Hamilton early in the month:—"That it be a recommendation ta the Annual meting to go into the qu'Jjtic.’i of appointing .delegates for the purpose of making strong representations to the Governm’iH V.rercby the erection of milking machines would be strictly by Government specifications, 'drawn up by an official who is thoroughly conversant with tho working of such machines, and that no supplier be allowed to supply milk or cream to any factory until a certificate is issued by the Department. Mr. J. Murray moved that the recommendation be adopted. He remarked that often fawners were blamed for not looking after machines which had not been properly erected. Competition between the great number of makers, and price cutting to get business, often led to a machine being installed in a slipshod manner, and the purchaser consequently had difficulties in cleaning. A higher standard in butter and cheese would follow the raising of the standard of milk and cream. To further the proposal, a committee, representing both Islands, should meet in Wellington to wait on the Minister of Agriculture with Mr. Singleton, director of the Dairy Division. Mr. J. Middleton seconded the motion, and gave some instances of trouble he irnet with in the South island through dirty machines. Mr. Currie, Government dairy instructor for the Wellington provincial district, said that they perhaps had not iu his district such machines as Mr. Middleton had described, but some were pretty bad. At these meetings for the past twenty years they had been talking of improving the quality of milk, hut very little had been achieved. He described the action that was now being taken in various parts by tho appointment of instructors. Many of the sheds now in use should never have had machines put in them. The sellers of the machines were not concerned with tho quality of the produce, but only with the sale of machines. Mr. Valentine, Government dairy Instructor for the Auckland district, said that, like the poor, we would always have the man with the dirty machine with us. Some of the suppliers seemed to leave cleaning until the visit of the Instructor, so that they might have bls assistance. The only remedy he could see was some system of paying for cream according to quality. To the managers present Mr. Valentine said that while he had every sympathy with the manager who kept his factory spick and span, it was no use a slack manager counplainiug to tho farmers about their part. Mr. J. Cameron, chief dairy instructor for J. Nathan and Co., Ltd., in the Waikato, also spoke of imperfections in the nature and erection of some machines. One point he urged was that brushes were injurious to the rubbers, and that plenty of boiling water and soda should be used instead. Mr. Cook, a factory manager on a visit from Australia, described tho operation and benefits of two Acts recently brought into operation in Victoria for dairy supervision and cream grading. The motion was carried unanimously. Mesrs. Murray and Fletcher were (ippolnted to represent the North Island on the committee, and a recommendation was made that the South Island representatives should be Messrs. Middleton and .1. Sawyers, and that arrangements should be made for a meeting with Mr. Singleton In Wellington at an early date. A further resolution was carried, on the motion of Mr. J. Cameron, as follows:—That the rubber companies be circularised, requesting them to supply all milking-machine [ agents and users with the very best quality rubber, and pointing out the great Importance of a good quality rubber for milking-machine purposes.