STORAGE OF CHEESE

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 22, 26 July 1917, Page 3

STORAGE OF CHEESE

ANOTHER NEW SHED.

GOVERNMENT AND HARBOUR BOARD CO-OPERATE.

The urgent need for the provision of temporary extra cool storage accommodation for cheese was emphasised at last night's meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board. The chairman (Mr. C. E. Daniell) said that he, at Carterton, and Mr. Harkness, at Palmerston North, have seen the producers, ■who expressed gratification at the manner in which the Board had handled the- cheese sent down, but more iiccomodaiion was urgently -needed. This morning, he, with Mr. Harkness ,-md. tho Engineer (Mr.. J. Marehbanks) had waited upon the Prime Minister on I the subject, with the result that Cabinet had agreed to' advance £3250, being half the cost of the proposed temporary shed ; (the money to be repaid to the Government in two- years without interest. The balance of the total cost (which is estimated at £6500) is to be found by .ithe board. Mr. Daniell further remarked that the Board was thus co-operating with the Government to conserve the country's produce. The ordinary basis of charges would be fixed, and there would be an additional charge imposed until the money had been refunded to the Government. Mr. J. G. Cobbe said that it could not bj too widely known that the board had done everything in its power to deal with the emergency in regard to the storage of cheese. It was decided, on the proposal of Mr. A. M'Farlane that the chairman's action be approved, and the Engineer was authorised to proceed to order the necessary material for the store, which is to have a capacity of 50,000 cases. Subsequently, a deputation from the National Dairy Association waited on the board in connection with the matter, tho proceedings being in committee. A DAMAGED CONSIGNMENT. ! At a later stage .Mr. Cobbe asked the chairman if it was true that a supply of cheese consigned to the board had been condemned by Government graders ; and if the cheese had been in good | order when it was received? The Chairman said that a consignment I of 85 cases had been received yesterday, and the board's officer, seeing the condition the cheese was in, had called the attention of the Government graders to it. The latter had not allowed the 'cheese to be placed in the shed. MENTION IN PARLIAMENT In answer to Mr. G. J. Anderson, the Minister of Agriculture (Hon. \V. D. S. Mac Donald), in the House of Representatives yesterday, afternoon, said an arrangement had been made by the Wellington Harbour Board to provide an additional storage capacity of about | 45,000 crates of cheese, and a conference of representatives. of freezing companies was to be held on Thursday to consider tho whole subject of storage capacity.