The Hawera Star. WEDNESDAY. JULY 17. 1929. THE CHEESE YIELD REPORT

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 17 July 1929, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

WEDNESDAY. JULY 17. 1929. THE CHEESE YIELD REPORT

Delivered ever? evenlDir by 6 o’clock In Hawera Manaia Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kapouira. Alton. Ruileyville. Patea, Waverley, Mokoia. Whakamara, Ohausai, Maremera. Fraaer Road, and Ararat*.

On Saturday we printed the full text of an important report by Mr P. 0. Veale on cheese, factory yields which was submitted the previous day to a meeting of Taranaki factory managers. In that report the scientist in charge of the Taranaki Dairy Federation’s laboratory made an exhaustive examination of the •true and false influences affecting yield and he arrived at some significant findings, which ivere endorsed by the experts to whom they were submitted for discussion. The reading of the eleven columns of closely-reasoned argument in which Mr Veale presented his ease may have appeared a formidable task in the eyes of the average dairy farmer, but its purport is no less important to hint than to the technical expert, and it thus has a claim upon the consideration of every man who has thrown in his lot with the dairying industry, in no matter what particular sphere. "Without attempting to summarise the various sections into which the investigation was divided, it may be said that the report demonstrates the fallacy of coming to definite conclusions based on published cheesemaking statistics without a knowledge of numerous attendant circumstances. To this extent, therefore, it shatters a cherished idea of many suppliers, namely, that the payout per pound butteLfat and the yield figure are the sole indications of cheeseinaking efficiency and standard of factory management. The report states that the majority of Taranaki factory managers are about on a par in regard to their efficiency in cheesemaking, and it brings out the point that both high and low yields have been published by managers known and respected for their ability and standing. If, however, high yields were the result solely .of special knowledge and skill, it would be reasonable to suppose that it would pay the industry ■'handsomely to place itself in possession of such knowledge, whatever the cost, in order to obtain the tremendous increase in income which would be obtained as the result of the application of such special methods. The endorsement of the report by the meeting of factory managers indicates, however, that the technical experts were prepared to accept as true standards the moderate figures set forth in the report, thus making it apparent that the above suggestion regarding the dissemination of high-yield information never can be put into practice. A careful reading of the report in the light of the factory managers’ endorsement cannot fail to reveal to directorates that a responsibility devolves upon them to safeguard the soundness of their factory methods relating to -weighing, sampling and test-

ing of milk, for the suggestion cannot | be escaped that all has not been right in the past in this connection. It has been shown tlrait suppliers may mistakenly believe that the receipt of a higher price per pound butter-fat thou that paid out by a neighbouring factory necessarily means an augmented income whereas, in fact, the supplier may be actually no better off than his neighbour. At the same time, it is admitted in the report, that under such circumstances the supplier, though he may be deluded, is robbed of nothing in cash or its equivalent. Why then, it may be asked, should anyone bother about it 1 ? This question has been anticipated in the report, the reader being reminded that the yield and pay-out figures of one factory may set standards which other factories cannot afford to ignore and that suppliers may be induced by such statistics to leave one factory for another. Further, it is contended, that, in order to regain its supply, “the deserted factory is compelled, by hook or by crook, to go one better. ’ ’ The layman reading this report cannot help but be impressed with its contention that their own records of income, per cow or per acre, provide dairymen with a more sound indication of their personal measure of prosperity than they can obtain by any comparison of factory pay-out figures. The problems arising from weighing, sampling and testing are not peculiar to Taranaki; they have' already arisen in the Waikato in connection with cream supply and buttermaking. The solution suggested in that district is the appointment of independent Government officials as testing officer’s at the factories, but the suggestion does not commend itself to everyone and would be certain to find some opponents in Taranaki. Apart from the objections that may be entertained in regard to any proposal to increase Government supervision, it is held that mere supervision of the test would not solve the problem. Any decision regarding the questions raised in the Federation’s report must rest finally ■with individual boards of directors who are responsible for the conduct of their own particular companies. We commend this report, endorsed by factory managers, to the earnest consideration ! of directors, who will be the first to rej cognise that the policy of the directorate should be at all times an inspiration to the manager to maintain standards and methods which will bear the closest scrutiny.