MEETING OF DAIRYMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 4

MEETING OF DAIRYMEN.

GEADTHG OF BUTTER AND CHEESE. AN IMPROVEMENT URGED. PROPOSAL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED. A mooting -of dairy factory directors, suppliers, unci managers was held in the New Zealand Express Company's board room yesterday morning to discuss the questions of the grading of dairy produce, the grading of cream, etc,, and the advisability 'of appointing- farm dairy instructors. Mr A. I*. Fleming occupied the chair. He said that the meeting had been called by tho South Island Dairy Association to discuss the proposal to raise the grading of butter and cheese from 83 points to TO points. TTiose dairy farmers who bad watched tho market during the past few years could not fail to realise the extra competition their produce was meeting in the Home markets. Many countries were now sending l.heir produce to Britain, and Now Zealand produce had to meet competition which did not exist a few years ago. Tho foreign produce was not only being sent to Britain in larger quantities, but the . quality was also improving. Much of the produce was realising prices almost on a par with that obtained for Now Zealand produce. A mooting of producers had boon held recently in Timaru, and it had boon decided to approve of the proposal to raise the grade of butter. At a meeting in Invercargill the proposal had also been discussel, and it had been felt that Mr \V. M. Singleton, head of tho Dairy Division of Iho Department of Agriculture should bo invited to visit Invercargill to give them certain information. Mr Singleton had agreed to corno down, and tho South Island Association mid got him to give an address hi Dunedin on his way south.

Mr Singleton said ho was pleased to appear before (he meeting to discuss the question of raising the minimum points of first grade butter and cheese. This question was not altogether new so far as the dairy division was concerned. Thoir only motive was to do something which they believed would he instrumental in bringing more money into the dominion for the suppliers of butter and cheese. Tu the earlier days the minimum points for first grade was 86. Subsequently a proposal was discussed in Dunedin to raise the minimum from 85 to 90. Eventually a compromise was arrived at. and the minimum was raised from 86 to 88. That minimum had obtained for 25 years. During that period improvements had been made in the. manufacture of both butter and cheese. In many butter factories they had introduced pasteurisation of the rniik, and pasteurisation had also extended very considerably in the cheese factories. . Dur : ing the past season they estimated that about 65 per cent, of the cheese of the dominion had been made from pasteurised milk. The instruetion in dairy work had extended in both islands, but. particularly in the North Island, and a considerable improvement had been made in the quality of the milk and cream supplied to the factories. The (matter of raising the minimum points in butter grading had already been discussed fairly widely, and at a meeting of the National Dnirv Association a resolution had been passed that the minimum points should be raised. It was recognised, however, at that time that the question of a Dairy Export, Control Board was in the air, and it was considered advisable to delay matters until the board took active shape. Other associations had also passed resolutions approving of the proposal. So far as choose was concerned, however, it had not been so much before the people interested. So far as he could gauge the feeling of the butler people they were in favour of the minimum for first grade being raised from C 3 to 90. He thought that t.hev hail onlv two protests so far against, the proposal—one from a. small co-operative factory and one from a proprietary concern. The fact that only two protests had been received led him to believe that, the general opinion was that the proposal to raise the minimum points for butter was in the interests of the New Zealand dairy industry. With respect to cheese, it had not been so fully discussed, and if he were- a cheese supplier he would feel like going into the matter further, just like many of the cheese people had done. Last season they had about 3.75 of their cheese second grade. The season before that the pernntage was three and n fraction. New Zealand was in competition very largely with Canada on the English market, and Canada had started a grading system modelled on our own. Last season Canada’s grading for under firsts was 22 per cent,., as compared with New Zealand’s 3.75. This showed the severity of Canada’s grading to enable them to secure a high standard of first grade. New' Zealand’s percentage seemed ridiculously low, and they must do something to produce a better quality of cheese. They had to realise that, there was room for improvement in New Zealand cheese. Home of those who had been in the market for some years considered that there had been a trend in the direction of lowering the quality, so far as manufacturing was concerned. The question of hours of work had been stressed and limitations bad been arranged which were not in many instances in the interests of good qualify. In the earlier days there were no limitations in the hours of work, and the employees were mainly interested in manufacturing a good quality. It was not a question of hurrying and getting the cheese into the hoop 1: ns fast as possible and getting it out of the factory. Thor e was too. much of that port of thing to-day in the dairying in (lusir.y, and it was being detrimentally affected. Ha long as there was a requisite staff in the factory For the quantity of milk being handled for cheese making lie did not personally see the necessity of hours being stipulated. Dealing with the question of pasteurisation, Mr Singleton said this method had come into operation to a considerable extent as regards cheese. Sixty-five per cent, of the cheese made last, year had been manufactured from pasteurised milk, and the other 35 per cent, from factories not using a pasteuriser. He would not say that factories could not make good cheese from nonpasteurised milk. lie had known of factories which had secured 91 points from non-paeteurised milk used for cheese making. Twenty-five per cent, of the factoricused non-pastcurised milk. Hie speaker quoted from a letter received from Mr Wright, the representative of the Dairy Division in England, in which It’was stated that it appeared to him (Mr Wright) that a considerable number of factories in (he South Island had not installed pasteurisers and that the cheese made at these factories wliich had gone Home had developed off flavours, and that the late arrivals showed this defect io a marked degree. Home of the makes of the factories in Wellington and Taranaki also showed this defect. There w'as a difference of opinion regarding the quality of buffer made from pasteurised and nan-pasteurised milk. Hidepartment was right in touch with the trade in London and the United Kimrdorn ami he took it that Mr Wright’s opinion was more or less the trade’s opinion. fTe was quite satisfied, however, that if a factory did not care to put in a pasteuriser, but, ii the employees would pay attention to cleanliiujls and care in manufacture of the cheese, there was no reason why that factory’s produce for the season should not average 90 points. These, factories had no reason to fear if the grading was increased to 90 points.

Mr T. C. Brash, sooretary of I ho Dairy Control Board, said he did not. think (here should bo much difficulty in connection with the raising of the minimum points, especially in view of the fact, that thev were establishing cream grading. Poi;/" of the factories! might have a difficulty in reaching 90 points, but ho considered I his difficulty was brought about by three things—faulty raw material, faulty manufacture, and thirdly difficulties which neither the management nor the directors could control. Tbo greatest. difficult v which faced directors was the lack of funds to rnuko necessary improvements. The supplier of good milk was suffering financial loss just so long ns a second' grade article was being delivered at Ids factory, and raising the minimum would give the directors the necessary incentive to take action in the right direction. Thou, again, they should take such steps to hnx-e a research laboratory as, would make the politician and the Government sit uo and take notice. In fane of the fierce’ competition from Canada, and the United Kingdom itself they had to adopt methods to raise the Now Zealand standard. Canada had established a grading system which repw a verv high standard. For the weak ending May 3 of ibis year th» percentage of second-grade cheese in Canada was 16; May 10. 16: May 17, 14; May 24. 12; May 31, 11. Ut them compare these percentages with those in New Zealand where they had about 3J per cent, of second grade. This showed the high standard act in Canada, and could they honestly

say that their standard in New Zealand was sufficiently high. They should heart n support the officers of the Government, who wore desiring to make a forward move, and also support, the proposal. Mr Clark maintained that some steps should be taken to reduce the expenses on their produce between the time it left the producer and the time it was loaded on the steamers. The speaker referred to (ho number of associations they had in New Zealand, and said that there were three officials in England whose salaries. e(c. : took the profits of between 20 ami 30 ISotones in New Zealand. Mr Singleton seated, in answer to a question Ivy Mr Leo (Flag Swamp), (hat if u factory used a pasteuriser and a good starter his experience during the war was that the cheese would keep very much longer. Continuing, he said there was no compulsion about putting in a pasteuriser. _ if (ho milk was dean and good he did not know whether ho would not prefer cheese made from a non-pasleurisr than a pasteuriser. His department had been very pleased to see the attitude taken up by the South Island factories in connection with cream grading and the payment of a differential price. •Mr Singleton went on to say ihal Ids department was out to do all it could to assist (he industry. They had officers at each of the ports throughout the South I-Innd, and his department had now recommended the appointment of a butler instructor for the South Island. This recommendation had received the approval of (ho department. Mr S. Bowman said (ho grading of cream would be introduced in Otago on Sepfember 1, but there would be no differentiation in the payment for cream until October 1. Each factory would be. prepared to send out a man to give all the assistance ho could. Mr !•'. Waite moved -‘'That recognising that, oar dairy produce is meeting with increasing competition overseas this meeting of dairy farmers and representatives of dairy companies approve of the proposal to raise the grades of both butter am] cheese. M> L. S. Dyer seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr G. A. Lamb (secretary of the Booth Island Dairy Association) said his association would take the matter of getting a cheese instructor appointed for I,he South Island as well as a butter instructor. CONDITION'S OF EMPLOYMENT'. HOURS WORKED AFFECT QUALITY. The question of the dairy workers award then came up for discussion, and it was maintained that men working under set hours could not turn out a high cpiality article. The matter was brought to a head lw Mr Waite, who asked Mr Single ton lids question;— Would 60 hours’ work he prejudicial or not to th* making of good cheese,? Mr Singleton : Well, if 1 were a faclory manager or the owner of a factory I would consider that if I were bound by an award of even 65 hours per week I would have to pay overtime if I w6re going to maxe a right quality.—(Applause.) Mr Waite: If you have io pay overtime, then you would have to show that the industry could not stand it. It might be difficult. A Voice: It would not be difficult. A hearty vole of thanks to Messrs Singleton and Brash, moved by Mr Bryant, concluded the meeting.