GRADING OF DAIRY PRODUCE.

Waipa Post, Volume I, Issue 19, 20 June 1911, Page 4

GRADING OF DAIRY PRODUCE.

AN AUSTRALIAN'S "DISCOVERY."

Mr W. M'Keever, a dairyman from the north coast of New South Wales, visited England a while ago, and while in London delved into butter matters. Since returning to Australia he has written articles condemning the action of the Commonwealth in deciding to follow New Zealand in the adoption of a system of compulsory grading. He contends that Government grading should be resisted, and declares that it means the ruin of the industry. He states that at one particular time recently buyers were being allowed ios to 15 s a cwt on certain New Zealand butter branded first grade because they objected to paying first-class price for third quality butter. Advices show that at about this time New Zealand first-grade butter was selling strong at HOs per cwt. Australian butter on the same market was realising from ioos to 104 s for good to prime stuff, while, according to the report of the Coastal Farmers' Co-operative Society's representative, " sales of medium and inferior butter were hard to effect, and prices ranged from 70s up." Commenting on Mr M'Keever's " discovery," the " Sydney Morning Herald" says that " even on Mr M'Keever's showing (and it is certain it is some isolated case, capable of explanation), this third quality New Zealand butter on which a reduction had to be made, realised a price almost equal to our (Australian) tops, and 25s to 30s per cwt. more than our inferior butter. Our correspondent's convincing discovery, taken at its face value, even if it did show an error in grading, proves that compulsory grading has been so effective in New Zealand that its 'third quality' butter realises very little less than our best. It is a pity if a visit to London cannot teach Mr M'Keever the reason of that. He might not then be so sure about condemning compulsory grading."

Another statement of Mr M'Keever's was: "The agents here whom I have seen all protest against the Government branding as useless and misleading." ''Considering what we know of the pronounced views of so many leading agents," says the

“ Herald,” this statement is not easily understood until we remember that Mr M'Keever also tells us ‘the Coastal Farmers’ Society placed their representative at my disposal.’ ” This society is the leader of the antigraders. It may be mentioned that the opinion of Mr R. Ellison (London representative of the National Dairy Association of New Zealand) is that Australia “ is doing the correct thing in following the New Zealand grading system.”