Dairy Reculations.

Otago Witness, Issue 2524, 30 July 1902, Page 10

Dairy Reculations.

TO THE EDITOB.

Sir, — I was very much surprised when reading a portion of the report appearing in to-day's issue of the Times of the proceed in go of the Penirraula branch of the New Zealand Farmer*' Union with reference to recommendations concerning the Dairy Regulations. The portion I refer to is that which recommends that eubseotion E of section 8 be altered so as to read " always immediately before milking is commenced ' instead of " two hours after milking." I addressed the Upper Peninsula branch of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, which is a different union, on the Dairy Regulations, and the full report appeared in the last issue of tho Otago Witness. In the addre*« referred to I made no particular reference to this subsection, as I fuHy persuaded myself that no sensible person or body of men. would suggest the continuation of the absurdly ridiculous provisions contained therein. But now, when I find a body of practical, common-sense nion, such as tho members of the above union are, making puch a suggestion. I begin to ask myself whether I should have pointed out the strong objections to this subsection. I crave your kind permission to do so through your columns, as I find these regulations will shortly be overhauled by Parliament with a viow to making them more workable. And I can assure you it is not before it became necessary. The first grea-t blot in the regulations is that they confer absolute powers on the dairy inspectors, such ac should not bo granted to any but the Almighty. The next in importance is the provision contained in subsection E of section 8. The subsection is too long to quote, but tho meaning is that in all sheds v. herein cows are stalled over the night such sheds shall

fee oleaned out always immediately before milking is commenced, which means night as well as morning.

Now, Sir, you know it is a fact that & number of the dairymen supplying Dunedia rise as early as half-past 3 every morning in order to supply their customers with fresh milk for breakfast. Compliance with this regulation would cause them, to rise an hour and more earlier, according to tho number of cows kept, and it is more difficult! and takes far longer to clean the sheds with the cows standing in the stalls than to clean the same sheds with the cows out. The work is very tedious and annoying-. Many a good cow will be ruined to tha dairymen if this clause is not deleted; Many timid cows that are perfectly quieti for a person to sit down and milk do nob like even the same person to come behind them with shovels, brooms, scrapers, wheel* barrows, etc., to clean out the shed. Per* haps the person ia in a terrible hurry, hay« ing risen half an hour later than usuafy Such a person is sure to* frighten such a cow, and ahe will as certainly kick out, and th« man can be relied on to hit back with hi« shovel, broom, or scraper as the case ma 7 be, and then the cow commences to dance) about in the stall, until no one is safe to go near her. Then she will not yield her milk freely, and when a cow withholds a, portion of her milk, that portion is the last and therefore the best of it, and this soon has th© «ffect of putting - her dry altogether. Even the quietest cows will be made" to suffer if they do not dance about .to the wishes of the man. I have over 30 head of dairy cattle, and we do not require- to u^ the leg-rope on any one of tihem ;• but if this TO-gulation is not altered I do not know howmuch longer I will bo able to say so, and I consider every cow requiring the leg-rope a loss to me, and my case is not alone in this respect ; it is ' the result of careful handling. Again, it is impossible for the persons cleaning the byres before milking to - keep their clothes clean, and this takes place immediately before the milking is commenced.

A hardship to the men is that it is proper that cows should be milked at intervals of 12 hours apart". Previously men rising at. aay, half-past 3 milked their cows then, and at that hour in the afternoon : but as there was a lot' of finishing work to be done, such as milking, cooling milk, washing buckets, strainers, coolers, etc., feeding and betiding cattle, and feeding, grooming, and bedding horses, by the time they had finished their ■fcea the clock had struck 7. Now, the enforcement of thi3 regulation would cause an extra amount of preliminary work to bo done — nameJv, cleaning byres before milking is commenced in the morning, at the greatest possible disadvantage, and, as you must admit, at an unearthly hour ; also putting back the time for breakfast by the time necessary to c'.e&n the sheds. Again, this regulation is not, and cannot be. considered io the best interests of the public health, as any person of ordinary intelligence knows that any Bteam or vapour arising from fresh manure arises immediately it passes from the cow, and escapes by means of the ventilators. If there is anything injurious to health in the smell of fresh manure, it is Jess before than immediately after it has been disturbed by all the processes necessary for its removal ; if there is anything to pollute the air it has all been released, and hangs about the shed all the time whrTe the milking is being done. Milk drawn in Buch an atmosphere has- every possible oppor* tiinity of bein<r tainted.

Therefore. I draw your attention to tho fact that, from every point of view, the conditions brought about by the new order of things are much worse than under the system in operation before its introduction. The Department of Agriculture cannot poseibly expect any of +he men or woto°n or boys or girls engaged in dairying to. be in any way grateful for pil'ncr up extra work of this nature on their shoulders, and I can assure you that these regulations and the manner in which they are beine administered are causing an amount of irritation littlo 6uspected in We!lins<ton.

If the Peninsula branch of tho union had suggested that the shed* should be cleaned out two hours after milking every mornins it would have been a very sensible proposal, and we could support their union in that, and would do fo. As this subject is of very great importance to your many country readers. I hopo you will grant .space for this rather lengiJry explanation. Thwking you for past favours, — I am, etc., D. M'Cubdt, Secretary Upper Peninsula Branch July 22. N.Z.F.u.

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