1.—12 a.

3

D. CUDDIE.

20. Mr. Witty.'] You say, Mr. Cuddie, that the farmers have made great improvements. Are they in most cases satisfactory I —Yes, I believe they are. 21. The milkers have also greatly improved their methods. Are you satisfied with most of their improvements? —In cases where they have improved their yards, and altered their methods, 1 say Yes. 22. You say that the regulations under which you work as stringent?— Yes. 23. And they are all carried out to the letter practically?—We have no difficulty whatever. 24. What is the chief cause of complaint? —Butter and cheese being defective in flavour. In the main due to faulty milk. 25. Caused by what? —Contamination in one form or another. 26. Do you prefer a race to a large yard? —I would not care to venture an opinion upon it, as I have had no personal experience as between race and yard. 27. With regard to the lease tenants, do you think the regulations should be carried out in their entirety ? Say a man has only six, nine, or ten months to run, do you think some measure of leniency should not be shown in cases like that, so long as he keeps his place clean ?—That will be a case for the landlord to help that man. 28. Do you not think that the Department in a case like that would show a certain amount of leniency so long as the place is kept clean?—So long as it is kept clean, I should say that we would do so. 29. What is your opinion upon giving verbal instructions for improvements? Do you not think everything should be put down in writing, so that the dairyman has everything before him? I think that a great deal of good can be done by verbal discussion, but the main points shoula be put down in writing. 30. I think you stated that good clay would make a good floor. Do you not think that when it became moist it would break up, and when dry would blow all over the place and carry the germs? —Where material for concrete cannot be obtained, the only thing to be done would be to select the best material available in that particular district. A close and tight wood floor, or one made of hard clay, might meet the case. I do not recommend clay where any better material ia obtainable. 31. Do you think that the byres are built on good lines?— Many of them are. 32. Do you not think there is too much distance between the drain and the cow? —It is a very difficult matter to regulate that. 33. Could not the byre be put up much cheaper if the space was shortened between the cow and the drain? Do you think that the byres should all contain a bail for each cow that is to be milled?—My experience has been that where a farmer has a bail for each cow the surroundings are very much more satisfactory than in cases where cows are yarded. The Chairman: Have you anything you wish to ask, Mr. Rhodes? 34. Mr. Rhodes.] With regard to the tainting of the cheese on account of contamination, do you find this applies both to private cheesemakers and to factories? —Yes. 35. To which does it apply most?—To a few private-dairy cheesemakers. The flavour of some cheese is very defective. But there are very few private cheesemakers. By far the greater portion of the cheese is factory-made. Only a small quantity is made at the private cheese dairies, and most of this is sold on the local markets. The defects in cheese which came under my notice were those in the factories' outputs. 36. What about Banks Peninsula —there are some there? —Yes, but I would not say that it applies to them any more than to any other district. The Chairman: Do you desire to say anything, Mr. McNab? 37. Hon. Mr. McNab.] You were recently in England, Mr. Cuddie? —Yes. 38. And when there you examined a number of difficulties that were brought under your notice as Commissioner, and looked into the condition of the trade, did you not?— Yes. 39. Did you form any general opinion as to the cause of these difficulties? —There is no doubt in my mind whatever that the cause of the majority of the difficulties which came under my notice in England in a very large measure were due to faulty milk. 40. Would the effects of faulty milk be more patent at the London end, after the butter had gone round the world, than they would be in New Zealand? —It shows up at that end much more than it does here. When the produce is newly made it is more difficult to detect off flavours also, but after it has been held for a time they seem to develop. 41. Had you any opportunity of noticing the condition under which milk is produced in the English and Scotch milk-producing districts? —Yes, I had the advantage of seeing the conditions at those places. 42. How did the conditions there compare with ours?—l was there during the winter-time, and the stock, of course, were all housed, usually in buildings with cement floors, stone in some places, but many were of cement —hard floors —and, of course, the farmers were able to keep them in a very much cleaner condition than we can. 43. And that, do you think, had a very important bearing on the condition of the butter and cheese which was produced? —More especially the cheese. They keep the cheese a very long time before they market it, and the flavour was a (revelation to me, and I feel sure that the good flavour was due to the fact that more care was taken with the raw material —because the makers do not appear to be more skilled than those in New Zealand. 44. If you were asked the question along what lines can the greatest improvement take place in our dairy-produce, would you consider it was in connection with the precautions of the milker rather than the manufacturer? —Yes. 45. You do not express an opinion, do you, on the question of individual regulations —it is the policy ?—Yes, it is the policy.