1.—12 a.

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|_W. L. FALCONER.

veterinary surgeons to inspect the cattle for disease, that is all that should be required. As to enforcing concrete, the cost would be so great in some cases that the farmers would have to give up dairying. In such cases paving with wood blocks should be allowed, or bricks. My own yard is concrete, but it would not be passed by an inspector because it abuts on my woolshed and my stable. In some seasons we bring our cows in in the summer to give the best result in the winter. This is only advisable when supplying the towns, for winter feeding is very expensive. I think it would be a great mistake to allow these forty inspectors who would not have anything like the experience of factory-managers to go around among fanners. I realise it would be very undesirable to milk cows diseased and likely to injure the health of the people of the country or the produce we export. I recognise it would be a very bad thing. I think it would be very much better to allow the people to manage their own affairs. We certainly get very valuable assistance from the Agricultural Department and also from the experiments carried out on the Uovernment farms. But circumstances alto , cases, and we have to carry on our business to make it pay. We should be allowed to manage as far as possible on our own system. 1. Mr. Buddo.] You are going to shut the factory down? —Yes. In fact, we held a meeting to discuss the whole matter, in regard to the tins, they are entitled to put a broad arrow on them if the slightest bit of rust is seen. The factory-manager would not take the milk in rusty cans. It was wrong to practically put a broad arrow on the farmers of the country because they did not do a certain thing. I admit dirty milk is a verj' bad thing, and that every milker should wash his cows' teats, but if we had to submit to these regulations it would be an end to the great dairy industry, which has been of such a benefit to the countr}-. The Farmers' Union branch in our district emphatically protested against the regulations. W"e hope that you will see the wisdom of altering them to such an extent that they will be workable and practicable, or fire them out altogether. It would be far better for us that the .£7,000 were pitched in the harbour. 2. Mr. Okey.] Have you known a factory-manager discharged on account of doing his duty?— No. ■'i. And you have never known a factory-manager discharged for sending back the chairman's milk?—No: it may have been. 4. We have had that evidence given here. Do you disbelieve it? —I will only state the circumstances which obtain in connection with my factory. •1. Will the regulations be acceptable if the present sheds are allowed to remain as long as they are kept clean?— Yes, certainly. 6. And the pinpricks taken out—the name on cart and cans, and especially not using the cart for other purposes?—lt would be useless to put the name on the cart. 7. It would not improve the milk?— No. IS. You have sufficient inspection?— Yes, we give the manager power to condemn milk. 9. If the Department wished to assist the dairy-farmer, could it not do it better by assisting him to test his cows and so enable him to weed out inferior beasts?—lf you had two veterinary surgeons they would take a sample of all the milk. The principle of testing cows should be adopted, and it should be seen that no cows having tuberculosis or any other disease should be milked. 10. Is your country a bush district?—lt used to be. 11. Have you a shed for milking in? —I have ten bails and a concrete yard. The bails are not concrete. 12. Has your manager ever had to send any of your milk back?— Yes, he has sent milk back. He points out to the people that it is impossible to make first-grade cheese out of inferior milk. As one man's tainted milk would spoil the milk of twenty other suppliers, it is a very bad thing to allow such milk to be used. The factory-manager should have absolute power over the milk. L 3. Do you know of a man taking his milk to another factory when his milk was refused at his own?— Our factory is too far from other factories for this to apply. 14. You do not believe in Government inspection of dairies at all? —No, I do not. 15. You believe in going as you please?—As long as we are able to produce a first-class article I think it is just as well to retain that power in our hands. The country is infested with inspectors. We have had enough of them. The inspectors are rarely good men. 16. And you would sooner see a factory throw milk down the gutter than have inspection?— I would, sir. 17. Could not the inspection be worked without hardship and the inspection be beneficial? —If you would employ veterinary surgeons to inspect our cows, but men with a fortnight's experience cannot do this. If the Inspector condemned half your cows you would want to come back to the dairy regulations. You would then sing out about the veterinary surgeons? —If a man had practical experience and could distinguish between sound and diseased stock it would be all right. 19. Inspectors will tell you a farmer is not likely to admit any case as long as he can get out of it?— You do not want to hurt the produce of the country and injure your fellow-man. 20. Hon. Mr. Mc.Xab.] You do not think inspectors are doing very good work?—l would not like to give them sole control over our dairies. 21. Your experience has been that there has been a little too much of them?—At the present time I have had nothing to complain of. The Inspector at Masterton, Mr. Halligan, is a man of great experience and absolutely fair. If he said you had to do a thing it had to be done. I do not think a man in that district would say his judgment was unfair. 22. You know people in some parts of the country are very well pleased with the work done?--How is it there is an outcry from dairy associations from one end of the colon}' to the other? 23. Have you heard of farmers presenting a gold watch to an inspector?— Yes, I was the man who made the presentation. It was a rabbit inspector. -1.1 thought rabbit inspectors were the most objectionable of all?—A man who does his duty in a fair and impartial manner should be treated fairly.