Batter Inspection. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 1901, 17 July 1890, Page 30

Batter Inspection. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — Mr Sutherland deserves some credit for keeping the butter industry before the. public, but it is a question if we are in any better position as to the exportation of this substance than .we were at this time last year ; at any rate, I fail to see how the inspection of butter before it leaves the colony will improve our position. Mr Sutherland says that the cause of the unsatisfactory state of the trade lies with the makers, hence the inspection. The Minister of this department, in the House of Representatives, replying to a question relating to inspection, said that any quantity of good butter could be landed on the wharves of the colony, but unfortunately it became so bad on the journey Home as to fetch very low prices, and in flomo caeca it was worthless. If such be the case, how can inspection effect any improvement? I should think that if any inspection was necessary it should be after its arrival in the old country, to see what state it is in and be classified according to its soundness and quality. Aey examination that might take place in this colony would be of very little value, and in some cases the reverse of beneficial. Take the case of a farmer in some inland part of Ofcago, where it> takes, .say, from the time the butter is made, five or six days to arrive at Fort Chalmers. Does Mr Sutherland propose to open the package and again expose it to the action of the air ? I hardly think so. And it not, it would have to be inspected at the farm, so that you would want not one or two inspectors but dozens of them. Who would have to pay, then — the country or the farmer ? If the latter, it would take all the gilt off the gingerbread ; and in the other case, we have quite enough inspectors to pay already. Mr Sutherland quotes the case of Canada with regard to inspection ; quite right, tho butter has only seven or eight days to be on the journey, and no doubt it arrives in much the same state as when it left the country. New Zealand is not so fortunate, as it takes at the least some 40 or 50 days to arrive at its destination, which greatly alters the case, so that what might be useful in one case becomes uneless in the other.

There is some cause for satisfaction with regard to this industry, as notwithstanding the low price realised, there is an increase of something like £25,000 worth exported more than last year, and could all the difficulties be got over there is no doubt it would become an immense source of wealth to tho colony.— l am, &c,

Dunedin, Ju!

P.S.— Since writing the above I have read tho letter signed " A Dane." He says that be eouM give many valuable bints to farmers through your paper, but he is afraid you won't print them. I find that you are always ready and willing to give publicity to any subject that may benefit New Zealand. "A D*ne" implies that the Irish, English, and Scotch can make butter well. That is something new to me, a3 all tho time I lived in London I never heard of Danish butter— it was always Irish or Dutch. But wo live and learn. I say that the working man of England don't get such excellent butter as the people will have here, or else go without. — I. F. R.