OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

Evening Star, Issue 14635, 3 August 1911, Page 5

OTAGO WINTER SHOW.

The ticket box takings yesterday amounted to £s7'), an increase of £29 on tho takings of the second day last year, ■rw shows that the attendance is really a record, and one would guess os much by seeing the crowds. It is a good thing that Mr H. V. Fulton and his Space Committee have allowed such, large alleyways all through the show, otherwise the crush would amount to a block. Mr J. W. Long is called on to constantly tell visitors something about the exhibits sent from the Wereroa Training Farm and about the farm itself. Wereroa is 60 miles north of Wellington, on the Trunk railway. The farm ia under the control of Mr G. M. Lurlinson, It consists of 440 acres. Three classes of boys are received — orphans, boya committed” by the magistrates, and truants. They have to work for their living There are over 200 of them, of ages ranging from 8 to 21. The little chaps do everything about the farm, under proper control, and they are also encouraged to make shirts and ether articles of apparel, of which samples a to in the show. Mr T. Morris has an attractive display of his well-known healing extracts, including a cough exterminator manufactured by him, and called the Victory Cough Curo, and he also exhibits some very ingenious patents for placing hats, etc., in churches, halls, and public plates. This afternoon Mr Morris exhibited a potent for. hitching and unhitching. At the head of the stairway is placed a pretty and tastefully-dressed stand for the display of the Czar Medical Company’s remedies. Neatly put up in Duncdin-mado boxes are such articles as the Florentine hair restorer, the Czar indigestion cure, the one-day cough cure, and the Czar wafer for rheumatic complaints, all recommended by authentic testimonials. The Otago Farmers’ Co-operative Association have an attractive and interesting exhibit. They have installed a powerdriven sewing machine, where horsemen and others may see in tho making the well-known Martin’s patent covers and ail kinds of rugs peculiar to the farming and the stud stock industries. Part of this film’s exhibit is taken np by a display of Faulkner’s harness and boot polishes, practical demonstration being given by the patentee, who has come from Bydnsv specially for tho purpose. A new agency secured lately is that of the famous Daxno separators, which have an enormous sale in ail parts of Australia. They are made in various sizes, front lOgal to 64gal capacity. There is also a display of seed cats, wheat, clovers, and ryegrass, several of which have secured fust prizes in the grain _ and seed classes, and about 20 varieties of seed potatoes, turnips, and mangels, grown from seed and manure supplied by the firm. Sykes’s famous animal medicines occupy a prominent position on the stand, which is surrounded by Cyclone ornamental fencing. Upon a recount of the points for the special prizes in factory cheese, it is found tant the Canadian Baft Company’s special and also Turnbull and Marlin’s special are tied for by the Stirling Dairy Factory and the Taiori and Peninsula Company (Momono). Some reader? seem to think that our remarks about the awful and indescribable playing of the National Anthem at the theatre on Tuesday referred to tho Garrison Bund- That is not so. The band did not play in the theatre that afternoon. We wish they had, for in that case the Anthem would have been worthily given. THE DAIRY INDUSTRY. Amongst the many visitors to tho Winter Show of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society this week is Mr W. F. Crichton, of Manchester, ex hon. secretary of the British Committee of Butter Importers. Mr Crichton is visiting New Zealand on behalf of tho well-known firm of W. Weddel and Co.. Ltd., of London, to arrange for increased shipments of dairy produce. His firm act as agents for several of the largest colonial factories. (Mr Crichton, who was interviewed by one of cur representatives, has had a long experience in the trade at Home and other countries of the world. During the past year he states that owing to his firm having extended their dis..itributive organisation. Now Zealand butler and cheese have been introduced all over the British Isles, in many instances where never before our produce had been handled, and it is pleasing to learn that everywhere entire satisfaction was given as against the produce of other countries, and he feels certain, if a regular supply could be had all the year round, it would only be a matter of time when our goods, would become popular on the British'mar-' kets; but at present, with only a season’s trade being possible, buyers are compelled to stock our competitors’ goods for several months in the year, so that at the start of each colonial season buyers have to be induced to change again, and many are hard to persuade, a cheaper price being the only weapon which will tempt them. “Then,” asked our representative, “you would recommend winter dairying?”— “Certainly,” was the reply. “Scandinavia, which includes Denmark. Sweden, and Finland, who are your greatest competitors as far as butter is concerned, arrange matters as regards feed so as supplies are kept up all the year round, which thus .enables buyers to get supplies each week for 52 weeks in tho year. ’ " Do you consider our butter as good aS Danish?” was the next question. Mr Crichton is of opinion that many of our best factories are equally as good as any Danish. “ Then how is it so much less is realised for our butter on the London market?” asked our reporter.—Mr Crichton pointed out that last season the abnormal increase in Australian exports influenced the price of all colonial butters, and in addition to this, there was still a certain prejudice against frozen butter at Home; indeed, against frozen anything. “ I have said that some of your butter is as good as any Danish, but Denmark is only a coupie of days’ trip from Britain, so you see the Danes can make their butter, say, on a Monday, ship it on Thursday, and the grocer can have it on Iris counter offering it for sale to tho public on the following Monday; whereas from tho time tho New Zealand article is made until it is offered for sale at Home at least six weeks must elapse. Your butter cannot therefore be expected to show up so well as Danish under such conditions. If, however, your shipments were sold immediately on arrival in London, and not stored by speculators for market manipulation purposes, the butters would have a better name all over Great Britain, and would gradually command a batter price. Butter will only keep for a certain time, even in cold stores, before deterioration takes place, and you can imagine the impression on a buyer’s mind when he gets supplied with such butters. It simply means that no power on earth will g*t* him to buy colonial again.” “How could this be guarded against 7” was asked. —“Well,” replied Mr Crichton, “ when a man once buys goods, they are entirely ia his control, but the various factories ought to take care that in the first caso Iheir goods should be placed into the hands of firms who are known to be purely commission houses, having no goods of their own, because it is utterly impossible for a firm who buy goods to also handle consignment? satisfactorily for tha factory. Human nature is human nature, and where self-interest exists, that self-interest will bo protected ; hence under certain conditions consignments are apt to be neglected by speculating firms. This is very serious for the factories.” “ Now, Mr Crichton, what do you think ct our cheese, which interests the South Island mere than butter?”—-It will bo very satisfactory for the farmer to learn that Mr Crichton is of opinion that no better cheese can bo produced anywhere In tho world than in tho South Island. Th« climatic conditions are ideal. Ho had occasion to- examine many samples last season, and ho declares tho quality was equal (if , not better) to tha finest cheese from the western districts of Canada, which produce the best quality of cheese from that country. Mr Crichton is strongly of opinion that New Zealand must become the cheese-supplying co&ntry for the British markets, as, with the enormous immigration to the United States of America ami Canada, those countries will

be able to consume all the cheese produced, and cease exporting altogether. Mr Crichton, who is directly interested in tbo staple trade of Lancashire; which is the pivot of the British trade, says the prospects of trade at Home are very bright, and after the miUs passing through a long period of short time, he prophesies a large consumption next season of cheese and butter, and especially cheese. There is a population within a radius of 50 miles of Manchester of 15 million souls, mostly of the industrial class, who, when trade is good, oat large quantities of cheese. As regards butter, be says, in addition to the Horae trade, there is a large and increasing trade springing up on the Continent. For instance, Germany used to send butter to Great Britain for sale, but in recent years her industries have advanced so rapidly that she is now buying, and they are very fond of colonial butters. Mr Crichton is high in his praise for the Government officials in their supervision oi exports. The Agricultural Department ana its staff have, in his opinion, undonbfcediv been the means, to a great extent at all events, of the high Standard of quality attained. He has met several of the officials, and is convinced the very best men have been procured for the various duties. He is strongly in favor of cow testing. As His Excellency the Governor stated in his speech at the opening of tho show on Tuesday, the farmer is out to make money, and as* a bad cow costs as much to keep as a good one herds should bo kept up to the very highest pitch of perfection. The moment'a cow is found to return to its owner under a certain minimum she should be fattened and got rid of as soon as possible, and another one put in her place. This can only be carried out by testing, and the farmers are very fortunate indeed in having a Government’who place at their disposal such excellent facilities as they do. " What are your ideas regarding pasteurisation?’’ —"Well, we at Home are greatly in favor of tho system, but it requires* great care in cjurying it out at the factories. Thera must be no guesswork. It must be done accurately. Danish butter is pasteurised, and as it is the desire of colonials to attain the position .Danish holds on the British markets, Mr Crichton feels satisfied pasteurisation will help things considerably to attain that end. With regard to tho Agricultural Department sending Horne an expert to inspect and report ou the condition of butler and cheese on arrival, Mr Crichton rave this move will, he feels cure, be hailed with the greatest satisfaction by firms distributing the produce at Home. At present, with such keen competition to get the goods to sell at Home, agents are often afraid to report what would help the factories to better their outputs, for fear of getting into the black books of the directors of the factories. In future, however, tho Government official will eend out an unbiased and straightforward report without fear or favor, and in this way a great amount of good ought tv. be done to the industry. Mr Crichton will return Home in about a couple of months’ time, and, as tar as his experiences go, will carry with him very pleasant and happy recollections of his*sta.y amongst us. Ho is of opinion that Great Britain does not fully realise the gem of a Dominion she possesses. In the favorite phrase of Mr Seddon, this, in Mr Crichtons opinion, is certainly ‘’God’s own country,” and if he did not have a, duty to perform to the Dominion in looking after the sal© of butter and cheese entrusted to the care of W. Weddel and Co., he would think about sending for his family and settle in our midst As a Scotsman he felt quite at home in Dunedin.