THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1907. THE GRADING OF BUTTER.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8473, 27 June 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1907. THE GRADING OF BUTTER.

The action of' the London Produce Exchange in deciding not to accept graders' certificates as final, is a matter of grave consequence to those concerned in the dairy produce industry in this colony. Apparently the decision is due to the absence of compulsory grading by Government officials in New South Wales. What grading is done there lacks the stamp of official impartiality, and possibly of thoroughness, and though the New South Wales Minister of Agriculture admits the benefit the industry in New Zealand has gained from compulsory Government grading, he does not seem inclined to bring his State into line with this colony. It is difficult" to understand the objection to compulsory grading entertained by Australian producers when they see the advantage that the system has been to the industry in New Zealand. They may possibly regard it as socialistic interference, but, as Mr Massey remarked recently, there are two kinds of Socialism — one the Socialism that is intended to take the place of private enterprise, the other the Socialism that is of assistance to private "enterprise. That the compulsory grading of our butter has been of great assistance to the producers is beyond all question. says a contemporary, and it will be regrettable indeed if the apathy of New South Wales is to involve New Zealand in the loss of the benefit that has acciued from the adoption of the system. The effect of the Produce Exchange's decision may be a very serious matter for the New Zealand producer, for if a buyer, by alleging reason forrefusing to accept a certificate, may submit the question of price to arbitration, he may t be able to get out of a bad bargain of his own making. Where values have dropped after "forward" sales have been effected, producers may on the slightest pretext be forced to accept much lower rates than they originally obtained. Most of the butter sold in

New Zealand for export is sold "forward," six months or more ahead, and it might easily happen, under the new scheme that factories which had, in August, sold their next season's butter at lid per lb might, in face of a fall in prices, such as occurred this season, have to ai-cept in the end a considerably lower price. We do not say that reputable firms would try to get out of a losing speculation by underhand means, but the chance of being able to avoid a loss might be more than every firm in the trade could resist. It would lead to great uncertainty on the part of the producers, for they would never know until the butter was actually sold in London, how much of the price for which they had sold it here, months previously, they would receive. Such a condition of affairs would have a disastrous effect upon an industry which is now one of the mainstays of the colony. It may be possible to induce the Produce Exchange to discriminate between New Zealand and Australian certificates of quality, and to continue to accord to the former the confidence that it has been proved they merit.

EDUCATION BOARD ELECTION. We understand that Mr N. Mcßobie, of Pahi'atua, will be a candidate at the approaching Wellington Education Board election. Mr Mcßobie j contends that the interests of district representation justify him in opposing Mr A. W. Hogg, who is once again a candidate, and that, consequently, he is not opposing Mr Hogg for any personal reason. Mr Mcßobie submits that the ward system was devised for the benefit of the more remote portions of the education district. It is certainly desirable that a certain number of the members of the Education Board should possess a local knowledge of current events, and the Bush district very naturally feels that it should be represented by a local resident. Since the departure of Mr A. H. Vile from Eketahuna, it has been without "a resident representative," if the phrase may be used, and this position of affairs is, we take it, the real reason why Mr Mcßobie is offering his services. At the election held last year Mr McRobie polled the highest number of votes next to those recorded in favour of the three successful candidates, Mr A. H. Vile heading the poll. He is Chairman of the Pahiatua District High School Committee, and he is also a member of the Board of Management established in connection with the proposed Technical School for the Pahiatua district.