The Hawera Star. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1932. SIR HAROLD BEAUCHAMP’S LETTER.

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 18 November 1932, Page 4

The Hawera Star.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1932. SIR HAROLD BEAUCHAMP’S LETTER.

Delivereo erery evening by 5 o’olook in Hawera, Manaia. Kanpokonni, Otakeho. Oeo, Pihama, Opunabe, Ncrmanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Ngaere. Mungatoki, Kaponga. Awatuna, Te Kiri. Mahoe. Lowgarth, Manut&hi, Kakaramea, Alton, Hurley ville, Patea, Whenuakura. Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangi i, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

Sir Harold Beauchamp’s letter to the “Evening Post,” which was reprinted in our columns yesterday, is of more than passing interest to farmers in this district. The evidence he offers regarding the falling off in quality of our coloured cheese is not new; the market quotations have been telling the story in another form for several months. The discolouration problem is exercising the minds of men at this end of the industry ,as much as at Home, but so far not “all the ' King’s horses” can solve it. The New Zealand industry owes it to itself, however, to let it be knowm in London that it is fully aware of the existence of the fault and that it is bending, the whole of its resources, scientific and practical, to an effort to find remedial measures. There has been a tendency in some quarters to adopt a hush-hush policy on this subject in the belief that its open mention would react on the market price, but it is just as wrong to assume that English handlers of our produce cannot draw- their own deductions as it is to assume that New r Zealand dairymen cannot read between the, lines of the w-eekly market quotations. Co-operation, rather than criticism, is needed at the present time. The quality problem calls for the fullest support for scientific research •workers by factory managers and directors. Perhaps the most interesting part of Sir Harold Beauchamp’s letter is that suggesting the appointment of Dr. Ruddick, of Canada, as an independent investigator. There is no need to tell New- Zealand dairymen who Dr. Buddick is, for he has long been known here as the head of the Canadian Dairy Division. New Zealand had his Services at one time, but he was offered double his then salary to return to his native country and assume charge of dairying administration there. NewZealanders have good reason to know that under Ms thirty years’ regime Canadian cheese quality rose to a high standard. Dr. Ruddick has recently gone on to the retired list, and Sir Harold Beauchamp, in his capacity as a personal friend, believes ‘ that the Canadian expert could be induced to visit this country temporarily. It w-ould seem that the time has arrived for the appointment of an outside expert. He w-ould probably confirm many things the industry here has already been told by others, but which, in the past, have been merely handed on to the dairymen’s annual conference and “talked out.” No New- Zealand Government has so far show-n an excess of courage or enterprise in dealing with the domestic affairs of the industry. Apart from marketing questions, it has been the practice to “allow.the industry to settle its own problems,” which has meant, in practice, the avoidance of trouble—for the Government, but not for the industry. A lead given by an undoubted authority, such as Dr. Rud-; dick, might stiffen the courage of the Government and be followed by some practical steps towards rationalisation of administrative and productive methods. Sir Harold’s suggestion certaing calls for some form of reply by the Minister in view of the Government’s own- recent admissions regarding dairy produce quality.