1.—12 a.

68

[3. GRIFFITH.

2. Have you had any experience of a manager being discharged for sending back the chairman's milk?— No. 3. Is the manager generally backed up by the directors? —As far as my knowledge goes, yes, and very much so. 4. You think the inspection should be in the direction of educating the farmer up to certain requirements ?—Yes 5. We have had evidence here of persons being filthy in milking cows for the factory supply, but who have cleaned their hands when milking a cow for their own use? —I have never had such a case come under my notice. 6. Mr. Witty.] You sometimes paid for milk going down the drain? Did the person who owned the milk see it done? —I cannot say it was done. We lost several suppliers at the time. Whether the manage]- used proper tact in handling the suppliers I could not say. A man brought bad milk to the factory and the manager sent him a sample of it. The man never brought any more milk to the factory. In a case like that we would rather put the milk down the drain than send the supplier away to another factory. 7. Mr. Lang.] Are you in favour of a tax on dairy cows?— No. I would have no tax at all. 8. Should the dairyman have the right of appeal?— Most decidedly. 9. What kind of a board?— Each party should be represented. 10. Mr. Hogg.] You do not think inspection by the Department is necessary?— Yes, I do. Except that inspection by the Department may not be as good as inspection by the dairymen themselves. I I . Do you not think State inspectors would be more independent and would be more likely to carry out their duty?— That is just where it comes in. If the dairy associations took up the matter there would be more give-and-take. I prefer the system they have in Denmark. The dairy associations there take up the matter themselves. 12. Mr. Lang. Inspection in Denmark is by the farmers and not by the Government? —Yes. A. Wing, Dairy-farmer, Manakau, examined. (No. 29.) Witness: We hold that for the town-supply there should be inspection, but the dairy industry has proved a success in recent years without inspection, and we fail to see why, sooner or later, every man who milks cows should have an inspector visit him. The inspection in Denmark is not by the Government. There are various institutions, and if the farmer wants information he has only to apply to them. Otherwise inspection is done through the factories. Officials are appointed wlio pay surprise visits to the skimming-stations and factories. They judge each man's milk, together with the man in charge. They sample and test it and give points, just as would be done in a show. At the end of each month each man is credited with a certain number of points. That inspection, if you may so call it, goes far enough. It prevents a man being too dirty. As far as the city-supply is concerned we quite agree that there should be inspection in connection with it. But there are several of these rules from which we differ. Altogether I quite join in with those who have spoken. It says manure should be removed within two hours. This is impossible. A man does not finish milking till about 7.30 a.m. Then he has to take his milk to the station, and lie cannot get home till 5.30. Then he cleans his shed. It would be a very hard matter to control it. Then, every dairy must be provided with a sufficient supply of pure water for watering stock, &c. Several farmers in the Manakau district have great difficulty in the summer to get running water for stock. It leaves rather much power in the Inspector's hands if a farmer has a number of cows to water or bring water to them. Cans used in milking must be washed within two hours of milking. This is practically impossible. We do not get our cans till the 9 o'clock train. Sometimes the cans are left about the stations for three days. 1. Mr. Okey.~\ You supply a factor} 1 . Have you had any experience of factory-work?—l have been eleven years in a factory in the colony. 2. What is the average grade of the factory you supply?— 97 to 98. 3. Would you lose points by feed-flavours in the spring-time? —There would be loss of milk brought in too soon from newly calved cows. i. Do }'ou think you could get the 100 points if the regulations were carried out?— No. 5. If the Government wanted to increase the value of the exports do you not think it could better be done by testing cows for farmers?—l think that is where the trouble lies. The cows at the present time are below the average. 6. And education in that direction would be beneficial to the farmer? —Very much so. 7. Mr. Rhodes.] Danish butter always brings more money than New Zealand in British markets? —New Zealand butter would realise better value if there were refrigerator-cars on the trains. The railway accommodation here is a scandal for any dairy-produce carried. 8. AH? the closeness to the market and the better carriage on the railways the only advantages the Danes have?— They have better accommodation on the railways certainly. New Zealand has topped the highest price for Danish on the Nondon market. 9. Do you attribute anything of the Danish quality to the method of inspection ?—I cannot say. 10. You think we are equally clean in this country?—l am sure. 11. You favour the regulation in regard to the proximity of other buildings to the dairy?— No, not at all. 12. This statement that the byre is at the back of the dwellinghouse in Denmark?—l have never seen it. 13. Hon. Mr. McNab.] What was the name of the factory you said you supplied nnd which graded the points you named?— Glen Oroua. H. What were the points, the average points?— 97.