DAIRY REGULATIONS AND THE CARTERTON MEETING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 338, 27 October 1908, Page 5

DAIRY REGULATIONS AND THE CARTERTON MEETING.

. (To the Editor.) Sir, —May I be permitted to make some 'jreforonce to the Ron. Mr. M'Nab's speech at Carterton last Friday—a speech allegedly poii-political, but in reality mado. to give all the assistanco the present Cabinet can spare .to help the Government candidate for ; 'the Wairarapa. Mr. .M'Nab stated that Mr. Buchanan, who is opposing the Government candidate, v\a a member of the Stock Committee in 1853 which approved of the Dairy Industry Act, which "gives to the inspector power which could not be reviewed by the courts of the land." " This, howevor, is only part of the truth, for the Minister omitted to add that when the.powers were, granted for the inspectors whom it was proposed in 1898 to appoint, the then Minister, for Agriculture made it most particularly clear that only trained men were to be appointed, under the control of -veterinary surgeons. If proof of this is required it will. be found ■in a circular sent by the : Agricultural' Department in 1899 or 1900 to all local bodies, in which the statement was made that only«trained men would be appointed, and that it was proposed to utilise for. dairy inspection the veterinary surgeons, imported for the purpose of. meat inspec- 1 tion. It is.obvious, therefore, thai the Stock l Committee :of 1898 (of, which Mr. Buchanan 1 was a member) had no reason to object to the powers proposed to be conferred upon the inspectors, because ' any magistrate would scarcely set his opinion as regards sanitation at a farm or the hea.lth of milking cows above that of a qualified veterinary surgeon. . Mr..'MtNab also laid great stress- upon what the Government is doing for the dairy industry,'and; how it has gathered experts from all 'over the world to stimulate its growth. Another half truth; He omitted to say that, having received'the best expert advice obtainable, he completely ignored it. If he asks in what particulars, will he say' whether the proposed dairy regulations were ever submitted to the present chiof verterin--ary surgeon, Mr. Gilruth, or to the man who is to succeed him, Mr. Eeakes? On/more than one occasion Mr. M'Nab has takeii credit for, the Government for allowing these gentlemen opportunities of getting the most up-to-date, ■ Europeaii training. "Will lid say if the deep concorn he expresses for the welfare of the dairy industry has induced him to' ask' .these ; geritlenien for their assistance in'framing the regulations? Also, will' Mr. M'Nab dony that the officer who is instructing the newly-appointed daily inspectors hasbeen away from Europo .for at least ten years?, and, if dairy journals are to be be-lieved,-the scientific and theoretic side of the business has been pretty nearly revolutionised in that period. ■Those of.-;us interested in dairying have absolutely no sentiment in- the', matter. We arfe porfectly willing to submit to regulations ifthoso who-frame them and those who act "as policemen " in regard to them —the phrase is Mr. : M'Nab's—will convince us they are showing us a- better way of conducting our business than wo have at present. But to have a gentleman who may have, been the most'skilful butter maker in the' Dominion—who has since his appointment as an inspector ' listened 'to a few. chats. by an expert—comb to a man's farin ; and tell'him that certain sanitary matters require attention arid expenditure, or that certain of the stock want knocking on tho head, is rather too "educational" for' those who have to foot the bill.—l am, etc., , A. CORRESPONDENT.