DAIRYING REGULATIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 55, 5 March 1909, Page 3

DAIRYING REGULATIONS.

. I DISCUSSED BY SOUTH ISLAND SETTLERS. A FAIR TRIAL ADVOCATED. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday. The annual conference of the South Island branch of the National Dairy Association was held at Lyttleton to-day. There was a large attendance of members and of managers o£ various South Island factories. The" morning was devoted to a practical demonstration hy Mr. Bowman (Government Grader) of the grading ol a numbT of lines of butter and cheese at the LyHelton Harbour Board's cold 1 stores. The afternoon was devoted to a discussion on matters of interest of the dairying community. Mr John Darnett (Canterbury Central Dairy Co.) presided.! The Chairman said there had been a great outcry, and very much had been said regarding the dairy regulations, but, with very few alterations, dairymen were prepared to adopt them. The most important point was how the inspection would be carried out. Farmers seemed to think that the same system of inspection would be carried out in the country as in the town. Town and country men were, however, on different footings, and when it was considered that the men supplying milk in the towns received one shilling per gallon, and the poor farmer in the country only received fourpence per gallon, it was very easy to see the great difference in the two positions. 'The most important question was the kind of men" appointed to inspect dairies. In the country he must not be a man riding the high hor3e, and he must not come to them in the form of a constable, because, if he did so, it would spell ruin to the dairy industry. If country dairymen were receiving as much for their milk as those in the towns.were, it might pay them to carry out the wishes of the Department in regard to the regulations, but, as matters were at present, it was certain that not half of them would give in to the treatment of which thej* had read so much in the papers for a lorig time. The speaker recognised that there was yet a want, for sometimes cream camo in which was not all it ought to he, and, if they could get the Department to carry out inspection on the lines defined, it would be a boon to dairy farmers and to New Zealand. (Applause.)

The secretary of the Central Company read certain alterations which had been proposed by his company. These provided that, iv place of a settler or dairyman having to go to the office of the inspector to register his premises as a dairy, the inspector should go to the farms and do the registration on the premises. The second recommendation ■was that the proposed sliding scale tax on cattle should be abolished. Mention was also made of the clause requring provision of a concreted holding yard sufficient for the accommodation for the cattle brought in at one time for milking.

It was explained by Mr. H. Turner (Stock Inspector for Canterbury) that the yard need only to be of sufficient size to hold the number brought in at one time, irrespective of the total number of the whole herd milked. Continuing, Mr. Turner said the regulations were very necessary, and the law would be properly administered so as to assist the industry in the fullest manner, and to bring it up to the highest pitch. The regulations would help very much those who were doing their duty, and the dirty dairymen would be brought up to the mark. They must recognise-, that the (inspectors were not (policemen, and there were very few people who would find the inspector a very hard man when they knew him. (A member: "That's so.") Referring to the proposed amendments, Mr. Turner said he would ask the secretary to hand them to him, so that he could forward them to the head of the Department in Wellington.,

Mr. Bruce (Stock Inspector for Otago) said he .had had a great deal to do with the regulations, and' he had paid a good deal of attention to see what was going on. In his district he found that factory and creamery managers were pretty well unanimously of the opinion that the quality of the milk and its general condition had been better this year than In any previous season. The settlers were of opinion that the inspectors had been exceedingly considerate in endeavouring in every way to assist them in the overhauling and cleaning up of their premises, and the inspectors had not asked them to undertake structural alterations of any importance. Settlers were now finding the benefits of the inspection. It was unanimously decided that the dairy regulations should be given a fair trial. Mr. D. Cuddie (Dairy Commissioner) gave a brief outline of the dairying methods adopted in Denmark. Votes of thanks were accorded to Messrs. Turner and Cuddie for their interesting addresses.

At the annual meeting of the Auckland Sawmillers' Association, Mr. T. H. White, who has returned from Sydney, was appointed president for the ensuing year. When declaring Mr. White elected, Mr. D. Goldie (.the retiring president) said he was glad to transfer the position into such capable hands, and said that Mr. White had previously held the position for a number of years, and had served them with greart. energy and ability. Mr. Leyland ilso:. eulogised Mr. White's services to the members, •< and moved a hearty vote of thanks to the retiring presiding w__A ; v:*M. unanimously carried. •*?%'-:• r "