NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1617, 25 February 1903, Page 62

NATIONAL DAIRY ASSOCIATION.

THE GRADING- PROCESS. A large number of cheese-makers and directors of Southland dairy factories proceeded on February 9tli to the Bluff to view the grading processes as conducted by Messrs Singleton, and Thornton, of the Government dairy staff. TlTese gentlemen explained the faults and defects of the cheese and casing, and the party found plenty to interest them for the greater part of the day. It was admitted that there was a general improvement in the casing since last year. The opinion Avas expressed that the new impressed brand Avas not so satisfactory as ono Avould expect, as it Avas not sufficiently impressed. The best seen Avas a fire brand. In tho evening the Southland members of-the Association met in the Club Hotel, Invercargill. Mr J. Milne (Wyndham) presided, and there Avere present—Messrs Thornton and Singleton (graders), J. SaAvers (Edendale). Bacon (Mokoreta' Milne (Te Tua). Whitaker (Orcti), Mcßride and Gray (Mataura), Cunningham and Campbell (Wyndham), .nnd MeLaucliian (Mataura Island). Air J. R. Scott, secretary of the Association, Avas also present. The Chairman explained that the object in calling the meeting* Avas to carry out the resolutions that Avere passed in Dunedin at the annual meeting of the Association last?' year; to discuss the matter of grading produce, and also various points connected Avith boxing, etc, An important matter Avas tlie inspection of milk, and it was intended to advise tlie department to adopt the system recommended or decided upon. He Avas of opinion that by follo-Aving out that course it Avould be a great advantage to tlie makers of cheese and butter. The milk Avas the root of tlieir business, and if they made any mistake in this department it Avas to the detriment of tlie article produced. There were a good many points to be discussed, and though they could not here carry out things in entirety, Avliatever they did Avould be part and parcel of the work of the main centres. Air J. Milne moved: “That this meetir,rr urge on the Government the necessity of issuing the neAV ' regulations re branding of cheese and butter as approved by both the National Dairy Associations, and Avhieli were promised to bo given effect to by the Government.” The’ mover said that the matter had

been dealt with at their last meeting, and as no effect had been given to their recommendation, it was tlieir duty to urge it again on the Government, it would put them in an independent position as far as the buyers were concerned, as they were the people wiio wished to corner them in tlio matter.

Mr Singleton fully realised the position members were in. A number had already gone to the expense of providing impressed brands, but Iho graders were not in a position to object to a brand going through without being impressed. Personally he would like to sec some pressure brought to bear :n order to bring this about if tlio Government were delaying through the action of tlio exporters in Wellington. lie did not think the National Association exporters had a right to he used in juso that way. Mr Thornton smei that the resolution applied to butter as well as to cheese. The exporters were trying to get their own brands put on butter from the factories, and certain firms In mg together to get impressed brands of tlieir own. It was time that they had the rule “one factory one brand” applied. Mr MeLaucliian asked whether the regulations were not now authorised, and the secretary said that they had been approved by the Minister, but bad never come into force or been gazetted.

Mr Whitaker said that their visit to the Bluff w-iS an object lesson on the necessity for “one factory mie brand.” If a factory took one brand the managers would" vatcih tlio reports on the finality of the product, and if such were 'unsatisfactory they 'would endeavour in make some improvement. Mr Scott said that exporters who wore wanting to work up a. trade for good butter complained that they were unable to secure certain brands when required. Tito Fsmedy was for the company to buy the factory, build up a good name for the brand, and maintain the reputation of the brand.

Mr Gray said that the motion was hardly strong enough. It was strange that they should have passed the motion in tiie first instance at tlio request of the Government, and had now to* press the Government to carry out their own idea. The motion was then' carried unanimously.

The Chairman said that, there was a feeling that day that the impressed brand was not all it should be, and he suggested that they should discuss tlio matter.

Mr Thornton said that of all the brands they saw, only one came anywhere near perfection, and that was the “Mokorcta” fire brand. Some cf the brands were not impressed fully; they were merely stencil plates, although they were supposed to be impressed. The lettering was indistinct and unsatisfactory. It would pay the factories to go in for a machine for impress work instead of having it clone at the timber mills.

Air Singleton said that lie had been doing nearly all tlio grading ar the Bluff tliis year, -and he Avas not at all satisfied Avith the impressed brand as it had been coming through. It Avas conceded that the burnt brand they had seen that day Avas the best, but he ay as hardly prepared to advocate the companies to go in for a fire branj. _ There was something radically the working of the impressed brand here, as he had seen some Avhieli presented a much different appearance to those they bad seen. Not only were they barely impressed, but the ink AA'as very smudgy, and Avas daubed OA*er tlie outside and spread over the lettering. Some person avlio Avas connected with the making should have head enough to overtake the trouble. Air Thornton said ho must not be mistaken as advocating the burnt brand. The impressed could be put on better, say Avith prepared ink Avhieli Avould not blur.

Air Bacon said that lie Avas disappointed AA'itii the impressed brands they saw. He Avas of opinion that a great fault Avas in the piate OAving to tlie narroAV lettering. The blurring of the ink, he thought, Avould not occur if the Avood were fairly dry and seasoned. Tlie Chairman said that tho matter was in a very unsatisfactory state, and he suggested that Air Singleton might be able to 1 help them to a proper solution by making enquiries at tlie nulls. Air AlcLauclilan said that the department should not enforce aii impiossed brand on tlie factories till they aa eie satisfied that a suitable impression cojuld be made Avitli them. Air Mcßride thought the impressed brand AA’as all right but the saAA milleis had been putting it on AA.et timber, which should have been cut a good whilebefore being used for that purpose. Air MeLaucliian thought that the boxes AA’ould siilit on being nailed up if tlio Avood Avas alloAved to dry first. Air Alcßride moved, and Mr Whitaker seconded: “That this meeting request Air Singleton to A 7 isit the mills doing the impressed brand, AA'ith a vieAA or haying an improvement lna-de, and that the Association ask the firms to receive him as tlie agent of the factories; Air Singleton to report to tlie Association. After some further discussion, tlie motion was carried. All* Singleton said he Avorald be pleased to do all lie could in the direction indicated-

The Chairman said that the next question was that of milk inspection. Tli© Agricultural Department had appointed a man, who went about the colony reporting on the condition of byres and cowsheds, and although a good mail m his own way, he knew nothing about milk. Tie thought an inspector should be appointed in connection with tlio Dairy Department, and something done to bring about, a better system of inspection.

Air Sawers said that it was not a matter of inspecting byres and sheds to improve the milk; it was the handling and what went into it that contaminated it. For efficient dairy inspection the inspector should be a* thorough judge or milk. To do the work thoroughly it would he necessary for him to bo at tl io factory two or three days a week to find cut where the defective milk came from, and then go to that place and see that the defect was rectified. lie moved: “That it is necessary for the inspection of dairies that tlio insncctor be under the control of tlio Dairy Commissioner’s Department ; that such inspector have a good knowledge of milk and milking, and be capable of tracing the cause of defects in milk and its true source, and bo ablo to give such practical advice as will remedy these defects.” Mr Bacon seconded this motion. There was a great danger as things stood at present. An inspector could cause a lot of inconvenience by harassing people unnecessarily, and the difficulty would be to got a man with tact and a knowledge of dairy matters as well. Mr Singleton said that lie was satisfied that they must have better milk, and it was strange that they should not have the best when climatic conditions were so favourable. In visiting some of the factories lie had been surprised at the way some of the managers dumped tlio milk into the weighing can without,, examination. By the appointment of an inspector they could not take all the responsibility off the manager, who should always closely examine the milk submitted. He suggested that the cheese makers should visit contributing dairies.

Mr Sawers said that cheese makers bad not time to do this. Very often when milk was defective the dairyman did not know what was the matter, and if there was a practical man to go round and locate the cause there would be an immense advantage. Mr Bacon said that managers had no power to enforce improvements or re mm dies, and tlieir recommendations would therefore have little effect. The powers of an inspector would be altogether different. After some more discussion, the inntion was carried. In response to the chairmarfis re--quest for any suggestions, Air Singleton said that he wa3 very pleased to see such a large representation of managers and directors at the Bluff that any, and ho would be pleased to get the managers there moro frequently. But the fact of the grading coming on a Monday made it impossible for many of the managers to get away without losing too much time. Mr Thornton endorsed these remarks. There was no doubt that if the graders could get the managers more frequently at the part of shipment to see the grading it would be beneficial to them. Referring generally to the industry, Mr Thornton said that it had been making great strides during the past years, both as regards quantity and quality. Ho had graded at Lyttelton and Port Chalmers cheese which reached 93 and 94 points. Some of the factories had not refrigerators, and he was of opinion that unless they remedied this defect they would have to go o'lit of the business. Other factories in Canterbury and Southland had been showing good results. The export of milled butter, he regretted to say, was not decreasing very rapidly. Last season oO boxes ay eie condemcnd, and sold for ld_ per lb what had been purchased for 7d. There was a resolution passed at a meeting of the Association that third grade butter should be stopped from and he was strongly in favour of that. But at present it went Home, and helped to condemn New Zealand butter. As for cheese, some factories were showing' up fairly well,, and it pleased him very much to see tlio equalities down here as compared with last year. This season only four parcels of second grade cheese passed through his hands at Lyttelton and Dunedin, and that day only one parcel at the Bluff. There was another matter in the branding lie wished to refer to again, and that was that it should bo done as carefully for Australia as for London, and the cases should also be bound with wire. He believed the Railway Department had ordered that the vans conveying cure so to the port should be locked, owing to the pilfering that bad gone on. Referring again to the quality of some cheese sent for export, he said that last week he received a line that he thought was a disgrace to send as New Zealand cheese ; it would be exported and would run against the finest cheese from the colony. The Association should place the question before the Commissioner, and request that the graders should have the power to stop such stuff going into the ship. f In the discussion which followed, Li© secretarv said that the Association had

already expressed an opinion on the exportation of third grade produce by the following resolution: —“That tins meeting desires to express its entire satiation with the grading and branding of produco into first, second and third grades, and recommended that tee third, grade should not he exported ao all. 55 Mr Savers moved that the Association he requested to call the meeting of the members earlier in the season »n future. He complimented Messrs Thornton and Singleton on the manner in which they had explained the different processes.—Mr Mcßride seconded the which was carried. A letter from Mr Totliill was referred to .the secretary and Mr Thornton. The chairman thanked the graders and the press for their attendance, and the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to Mr Mil ue for so> ably presiding.