SOUTHLAND DAIRY CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 7

SOUTHLAND DAIRY CONFERENCE.

(Southland Times.) 'The annual conference of the Southland Dairy Factories Association was held in Gore on Friday. There were present— Messrs James -Milne (chairman), George Crosbie, W. J. Winter. G. Cushnie, A. Gait, Jas. Gait, • Campbell, H. Munroe, Gray, and M 'Lauchlan (secretary).

It was moved by Mr Cushnie. seconded by Mr Gray, and carried, thai; this meeting press upon the National Dairy Association the necessity of steamers making the Bluff a monthly port of call.

On the motion of Mr Winter ib was resolved thai; the National 'Dairy Association be communicated with re impressing upon managers the necessity of making packing cases, of a uniform size with the object of having the ocean freight reduced.— lt wan pointed cv!; by Mr M'Lauehlan that the shippiug companies objected to lowering this freight until all boxes •were of a uniform size, space being lost in stowing boxes of unequal size. Some factories packed two and some three cheeses in a case, arid the tiers being broken a deaL of gpaee was wasted, which they as a body had to pay for. He felt certain if this was remedied a considerable saving in the grass tonnage would be effected. — Seconded by Mr Orosbie and carried. Mr Cushnie moved that this conference again urge upon the Otago A. and P. Association the necessity of having cheese for competition in the export classes at their winter show in the hands of the- secretary two months prior to the date of the show. It was also suggested that the A. and P. Association should be- a little -more iberal in the way of puizs money in the dairy -produce section of their . show. . Mr M.'Lauchlan pointed oat that the Wyndham Factory had last year paid the Otago A. and P Association over £11 in entry fees, and supposing they had succeeded in gaining "all the prizes they would only have got £28.- The entrance fee for the M 'Nairn Challenge Cup was 15s for each exhibit, and there, was no prize whatever — only the right of holding the cup for a year. This he thought was monstrous, and went a long way to discourage the industry. — The motion was seconded by Mr Winter and carried. It was m6y"ed_ and seconded by Messrs Gray and Cushnie that this conference co-operate with the Government with the view of placing the chipping of dairy produce entirely under the control of the Department ofjAgciculture. Mr Winter said he had apoken to the Hon. John M'Kenzie when in Wyndham upon this subject, - and he assured him the department would do

so provided the whole output went through their hands. — Motion carried.

It was moved by Mr Gray and seconded by Mr Cu^hnie — " That the department be communicated with with the view of making it compulsory for dairy experts, when making, their usual visits to -ffcetorits, to furnish the directors with n reuort." — Carried.

Voles of thanks were recorded to the Wyndhana directors and the Hou. J G. Ward for the interest they had shown and the trouble taken ia connection with getting a grader appointed at ihe Bluff.