THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19215, 2 January 1926, Page 7

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Sir,—ln the Hkhald ol ! December 16 appears the report of a discussion by the Provincial Executive* of the Aucklnnd Farmers' Union in whiich Mr. W. H. Allen, of Tirau, is alleged to h&vo stated" A great deal of butter is being turned out by proprietary concerns who accept inferior grades of cream," the inference being that the proprietary companies manufacturing butter me more interested in quantity than quality. For soma years past it has become quite a popular sport with some -of the selfstyled leaders of co-operation to bait the proprietary companies. At any untoward happening in tho dairying industry, almost from slumps in the market to variations in the weather, attempts are made to lay the blame at (he door of the proprietary companies. Not content with engineering an Act, tho compulsory clauses of which make it legal for thG Dairy Control Board to take possession of the proprietary companies' goods without the necessity of buying; ihem or asMining jiny financial responsibility in the event of loss, apparently ?iome of thess leaders now seek to discredit even the produce manufactured by t'ho proprietary companies. Common sense will show that the product of the proprietary companies must be similar to that of the co-opera-tive companies, as the raw material is drawn from the same sources, unless, of course, there is some sinister conspiracy with the vats, pasteurisers, coolers and churns of tho proprietary companies—even if these machines are mude by the same manufacturers as those of the cooperative companies—to convert the suppliers first grade cream into second grade butter. The Government graders who grade the co-operative companies' butter also grade the proprietary companies' butter. The following facts may enable Mr. Allen to realise the true position, and ns a consequence withdraw his remarks: — The Proprietary Factories' Association has by resolution approved of tho compulsory grading of cream, and also approved of, and met the department in the appointing of, farm instructors. The proprietary companies pioneered the industry, and have continued to be a big factor in its development. A Protrietahy Company.