CHANGE NEEDED

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 138, 13 June 1913, Page 2

CHANGE NEEDED

DETERIORATION IN QUALITY

OF CHEESE.

DIRTY MACHINES THE CAUSE

A question which vitally affects the dairying industry of New Zealand j was discussed at the meeting of the i South Island Dairy Association last week. Some weeks ago there were published extracts from the very outspoken circular forwarded to dairy factories early in March, by the New '■ Zealand Dairy Commissioner, Mr D. Cuddie, which virtually impugned the cleanliness of the milking machine, and showed how its use was affecting , prices for dairy produce at Home. It was this circular which gave rise to the discussion, the 4Otautau Dairy Factory being the medium for officially drawing attention to it. MR CUDDIES COMMENTS. During the discussion, Mr Cuddie made a most interesting statement on the matter. He said that if there was one thing he disliked more than another in the position he occupied in the public service it was to comment adversely on the quality of New Zealand produce. He'believed in saying all the good he could about it. and they should all be prepared, as far as possible, to support the o-ood name which New Zealand produce had established on the British market. At the same time it would l>e a serious mistake and a neglect of duty on his part not to bring before the people concerned any defect existing in butter or in cheese, and which could be wholly, or even m i part, overcome. If defects existed, and .steps could be taken to overcome them, the sooner those steps were taken the better, and it was for that i reason he issued his circular some time ago- The circular was not i written without due consideration, or without satisfying himself that the i statements were true in every parti- : cular. What he wished to speak to i them about did not refer to the whole ■of New Zealand cheese, because a 1 large proportion of the output for the i past season was such that little or no , fault could be found with it. If the i remainder had been up to the same s standard there would have been no t reason for the circular or for the dis- ) cussion that day. There were ample i proofs that the complaints made • against some of the New Zealand cheese during the past season were ' quite justified.

A STEADILY GROWING EVIL. This question of a deterioration in cheese had not come about all at once. If one looked at past annual reports or discussions of different kinds throughout New Zealand, it would be seen that the matter had been dealt with, and that warnings had been issued that unless something was done to remove defects the dairy people would hear about them as soon as the market prices went against the trade. He thought these faults were due to a combination "of circumstances, and not to any single defect. They had to remember that the increase in the cheese output in the last six years had been 120 per cent., while last year it was 22 per cent., and this year 2fi per cent., and it was only reasonable to expect, when the industry was going ahead at this enormous rate, that the Dominion could maintain the high standard of a few years ago. One reason was that some people were going into the business who had little knowledge of what was required. As for milking-machines, there were to-

day considerably over 4000 of them in use .throughout New Zealand. Any experienced facix>;ry manager would say that it was more difficult for him to manufacture first-class cheese today than it was before the machines were so common. When the recent trouble arose in connection with complaints from Home he liad as many milking-machines examined as possible before the season ended. The Department started this work two months ago, and since then some 300 machines had been closely examined. They were pulled to pieces, and the reports on the result*? of the examinations had been sent to his office in Wellington, and he found that out of the 300 only 23 per cent, were clean. The examinations had been made in a portion of ■''every dairying district in the Dominion. Then 50 per cent, of the machines were absolutely bad and in a very serious condition indeed, and the remainder were not clean, but not so bad as the 50 per cent. He would put it that they had 4000 machines in use. and they had to admit that half of them were not what they should be^—a very serious state of .things. ?.••'■ *•

MUST MAKE A CHANGE. Something ought-to be done to overcome that state" of things. A combination should be made among factory managers, directors, and the department. He was not in favor of appointing inspectors. He had had a good deal of experience in connection with the inspection of machines, and it was his opinion that it would be necessary. to have an inspector for every two or three factories before they could cover the ground; and that was not feasible. Something must be done by the dairy farmers through their managers, and in that way much of the trouble would be got over. If a supplier was met with who would not comply with instructions, the Department should, be communicated with, and the Department had the power to prevent a person delivering milk at a, factory if his dairy was not clean.

That charming young lady, Miss Cecil Haines —the juvenile champion eloqutionist —has carried all before her at the various competitions At Masterton, Palmerston North, Napier and Wellington she was quite the "star." Mrs. Haines, the mother of this clever child, writes that her daughter has used Fluenzol as a gargle for the throat; the result has been a strengthening of the vocal chords and a clearing of the bronchial tubes. This testimonial, like the many others received by the Fluenzol Proprietary, has been quite a spontaneous one It has been given purely in a spirit'of gratitude. Each day fresh people become enthusiastic as to the sterling merits of this preparation. 81