MILK-SUPPLIERS’ ASSOCIATION

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1507, 17 January 1901, Page 50

MILK-SUPPLIERS’ ASSOCIATION

MEETING AT LOWER, HTJTT. A meeting of milk-suppliers was held in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Lower Hutt, oil Saturday night for the purpose of taking steps to form a union for the mutual advantage of milk-suppliers doing business in the district. There was an attendance of about forty persons interested in the trade. Mr Ward, who was voted to the chair, informed the meeting that a committee had done a good delal of preliminary work, and he suggested that a solicitor be emplojmd to go over the rules proposed to he adopted. He was of opinion that a union of milk-suppliers was now absolutely necesary in view of the almost unlimited powers given to inspectors under the Dairy Act. He consider, ed that the member for the district had failed in his duty to his constituency when he had allowed the drastic measure now governing dairying to pass through Parliament without entering a protest ajr.:-;. : Tks way to contend against the evil was ±ur cue dairy farm, ers to combine. The lack of combination was the great drawback of the farming community. Members of every other calling pulled together, but the farmer was as slow and individualistic as his own stock. The veterinary surgeons, doctors, and other callings had seen the advantage of combination—and the result was the Dairy Act, which was really a scheme to provide fat. jobs for people unable to gain them by merit. He would suggest" that if any member of the union should be summoned for any breach of the Act a committee should be appointed from the union to inspect the premises, and if that committee reported that the prosecution was a harsh one, a levy should be made on the members of the union for the purpose of defending the case. Adverting to the price of milk, the speaker said he was of opinion that a price of 3d per quart in summer and 4d in winter could be obtained in Wellington, provided the sup, ply were limited at the Hutt end. After an interlude, during which the question of “sore teats in cows” was discussed, the proposed rules of the union were Considered. Mr A. R. Hope suggested that the union should approach the Cabinet with a view to having certain objectionable features of the Act remedied. It was no use going into a Court to fight the matter. If the Act Said a certain thing, that settled it. The. Dairy Regulations were then discussed seriatim, and were generally con-

deiuned. The provision as to air-space was characterised as excessive, it being pointed out that it was taken from the English Act, in which country cows were stabled for four or five months in 'the year, whereas in New Zealand 'a few nights in the year was the average. Exception also was taken to the requirement that milk-cans should be carefully dried, it being the opinion of many speakers that iit was imposible to dry a can with any cloth without leaving particles thereof on the can. The better way, it was argued, was to scald the cans, and then rinse them out with cold water, and turn them upside down. The provision as to whitewashing was also objected to as being too comprehensive. Mr John Sharp suggested that a deputation should be appointed) by the meeting to lay 'before the Government the wishes of the farmers in the matter of amendment to the regulations. After discussion, it was resolved that the matter of laying complaints before the Government should be deferred until the union had been got into working or_ der. A committee, consisting of Messrs Ward, Judd, Allan. August, Hayes, Routley (secretary) and Kyle (treasurer, was appointed to take fur_ ther steps for the formation of a union, and it was resolved that the proposed rules of the .■ association be submitted to a lawyer for revision, and'that a further meeting be called in a few weeks’ time. Meetings in furtherance of the objects of the assoc ation are to be held at Ka_ rori and Mungaroa at an early date.