PROOF OF PROGRESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 209, 5 September 1927, Page 6

PROOF OF PROGRESS.

The Chief of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture has done the .industry and the country an important service in producing the comparative statistics of output that we publish to-day. Statistics of value are sometimes an unreliable guide to progress, for higher market rates may cover up a decrease in production. Mr. Singleton shows, however, thai the quantity of our dairy produce—all products; taken together—is increasing per capita both of persons •employed on farms and persons employed in dairy factories. In the year 1925-26 butterfat production on this basis was 22 per. cent higher than in 1920-21, and the factory production was 40 per cent higher. Mr. Singleton puts down the increase in farm production to extension of milking machinery and improvement of herd Quality. No doubt improvements in machinery account largely for the much greater proportionate increase in the per capita output of factories. The figures are very encouraging, as showing that despite the difficulties of the times the industry is producing much more per unit of labour.