THE NORTH ISLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 13

THE NORTH ISLAND.

COMMANDEERING OF CHEESE

(Fhom Ode Own Correspondent.)

This week has been an off week so far as genera' farm- work is concerned, and farmers from all parts of New Zealand have gathered at Palrhorston North to discuss matters affecting the welfare of the industry. Perhaps, one question that has been mere prominent than another is that of the intention of Government to commandeer cheese supplies. It will be remembered that it was recently decided by farmers' meetings in Taranaki to offer their outputs to the Government for War Office requirements at S-gd; the approximate average price ruling on the Home market during the past season. The Government considered this price too high, and it was decided that a meeting of North Island dairymen be held at Pulmerston _ North to discuss the matter. The meeting took place on Tuesday, and as a result it was decided by the dairy factory representatives present "to offer the whole output to the Government at or half the output at Bd, with the proviso that the other half is to be consigned Homo the usual channels, and to have equal facilities of shipment with the Government's half. Another important proviso is that if the Home Government requires more than 50 per cent., it is to have first call on the produce at Home, at market prices. These proposals will be formally put before dairy companies at meetings to be called shortly at different centres. If the proposals are not accepted, independent action will no doubt bo taken by the Government, and what it thinks an- equitable price fixed. In the meantime there arc mixed feelings about the business, and some farmers consider that they are being doubly taxed. For instance, no one would ever dream that th 3 cheese question would be discussed at a stock-breeders' meeting; but it did, for at the annual meting of the Holstein-Friesian Association Mr P. 11. Leonard moved—- " That 1 the attention of the Government be directed to the unfair result of the present system of commandeering cheese at a fixed price, which amounted to a special tax on suppliers of this product, and that they (the Government) be recommended to place cheese on the same footing as other products supplied to the Home Government, thereby allowing it to_ secure the ruling market price." In moving the resolution, he said that farmers had always paid taxes to a greater extent than the townspeople. He was not bringing this forward to escape taxation; but tho fact was that the Government had taken onethird at 7ad, and they had not received a fair market price, which averaged lid. In the case of one company, this made a difference of £l2 10s per supplier, and of another £27.

Mr Marchant did not think tho resolution should be seconded. He pointed out that the commandeering was done at the request of tho factories. Mr Lig.gins at once seconded the resolution. Ho said that a few factories in "dear old Taranaki" met together, and in a spirit of patriotism gave away £315,000. " They have had the kudos and -we've lost tho cheese," ho said, and afterwards it was found out that Canadian cheese had not been commandeered. When the war started all tho merchants' buildings wore full of goods; now they were empty. Tho goods had been sold at high prices, and the merchant escaped taxation. The farmers had been given no credit for their donation. When the Government said that they would feed the soldiers on something else it was all bunkum. Tho dairy factory suppliers were like Balaam's a^s; " they had to bo well beaten before they would speak/' Well, they had been beaten, and now they "Were speaking.

Mr Marchant considered that it was out side tho sphere of the meeting. The previous year, when cheese was at 93s or 945, tho Imperial Government considered tho price was to high, and said that they would have to obtain it from New Zealand at a moro moderate price, or consider tho question of cutting it out of the rations. Tho meeting at Hawera was a very representative one, and recommended as a guide to« msQ*ings that tho Government promised to call throughout New Zealand that tho Government should bo asked to commandeer 15 per cent, at 7d. This was endorsed throughout New 1 Zealand. Tho Government increased: the quantity to 30 per cent.,

which they look «t 7|d. True, the price at Home boomed up to 110 s; but he submitted that using choose for tho troops at tho front was one of tho finest advertisements New Zealand ever had, and also that the large purchases made in buying the major portion of the cheese sent on open consignment, tho Government themselves made tho unprecedented high prices of which tho supplier was reaping the benefit. Mr Leonard did not consider that tho dairy-fanners had had a fair run for their money.

Mr Banks moved as an amendment — "That tho attention of the Government bo drawn to tho inequitable treatment received by cheese factories last year." Mr Galliehan maintained that the price given by tho Government was the market price at tho time. Had tho war stopped tho Government would have lost money. Tho war did not stop, and tho Government made money. This year the position might be reversed.

Speakers said that it was not right that wool and butter shoulel go free; but Mr King pointed out that the resolution as framed did not affect these. Finally, on the motion of Messrs Buckland find King, it was resolved to stop tho discussion. A QUESTION OF TEST. Tho question of anomalies in testing was one that was mentioned at tho annual meeting of Holstein-Friesian breeders, when Mr Buekland suggested that some alteration should bo mad i in the system of testing in connection with cheese. He pointed out tljat. the- butter-fat test was not a fair method to adopt for cheese. It, was right enough for butter, but choose depended on the total solids. He pointed' out that the high-testing milk was gaining an unfair advantage at tho expense of the low-test-ing milk, and as an instance ho pointed out that 5001 b of milk at a 5.4 test was paid on tho basis of 271 b fat, and produced 58alb of cheese. Whereas 5001 bof milk at 2.6 was only paid for 131 b of fat, whereas it produced 46>lb of cheese. This was decidedly unfair, and some better system of testing should be evolved. Any manager would tell them that they could make more checso in the flush of the season than at tho end of the season, when tests were high, and, of course, the higher test was of advantage in the whey butter. In Canada they overcame the difficulty by adding the numeral II to every test, which brought it very near the proportionate money value. He asked them to keep tho matter in mind, as tho sooner some bettor system was evolved the better for tho Holstein-brceder. WOOL.

The wool sales to bo hold at Wellington early in the month will no doubt result in a .general clearing up. C'rutchings will occupy tho principal place in the catalogue; there will also probably be a fair quantity of seedy wool offering. It will bo remembered that at tho last sale a groat quantity of wool was passed in, and it is quite possible that a portion of this will bo offered also. A good deal of speculation exists as to what tho market will be on the occasion of the next sales, particularly in view of tho projected rccjuisil/oning of the whole of tho British wool clip by the Government. At present it is difficult to forecast tho market. BIRTH OF THE CREAM SEPARATOR.

Tho cream separator has played a very important part in the development of tho dairy industry, and, in looking- backward, it will be remembered that the first cream separator in the Waikato created a sensation in the Auckland province. According to Mr Edward Allen, of Cambridge, it was the first ever run in New Zealand, and that was 26 ago. Mr Reynolds (now dairying in the Argentine) was the introducer of the machine. Butter was then a sort of side line of farmers' activities, and cheese exports were unthought of. Since then—26 years ago—the growth of tho industry has been stupendous. In 1895 tho exriorts of dairy produce were valued as follow : Butter ,£2G3 211 Cheese 1GD.383 To-day the posit r on stands:— Butter £2,764,945 Cheese 3,033,227 * £5,708,172 Tho industry, it is contended, is even yet in its infancy, and as a proof of its growth the applications for the registration of new factories in the Dominion is prety conclusive.

DAIRY FACTORY MANAGERS. PALMERSTON N., June 23

The annual meeting of the Dairy factory Managers' Association was held at Palmcrston, Mr C. Cooper presiding. The bnlanco sheet showed a credit balance of £3l 3s. Thq report, while expressing satisfaction at the splendid response to tho call of Empire hoped that a sufficient numl-r of experts would be retained to carry on i work of contributing to tho commissiari.' Tho chairman, in moving tho adoption tho report, regretted tho resignation as secretary of Mr Murray, and also the retire-

ment of Mr West through ill-health. He suggested that Mr West should be elected an honorary member of the association. lie stressed the point that the association had done a lot of useful work in protecting the welfare of factory managers, and he expressed the hopo that managers who were standing out would come in and render assistance.

! The report and balance sheet were adopted. Mr West was elected an honorary member, and the secretary was voted an honorarium of £lO 10s. Officers -were elected as follows: —President, Mr J. Murray; vice-presidents — Messrs A. Morris, F. Klecman, and Kelly; committee —Messrs Knkman, Harris, (Sinclair, and Champion; secretary and treasurer, Mr J. 13. Wainscott (Taradale); auditor, Mr W. E. Bendall. It was decided to hold meetings at Hamilton and Hawera Shows. The grading of cream was discv-scd, and it was resolved that the Department of Agriculture be urged to have tne compulsory gradinjvof cream introduced, and that Messrs Midcllcton, Dixon, and Kirkham wait on the Dairy Commissioner in connection with the matter. It was resolved that members of_ the association undertake to submit to their respective suppliers for thou- signatures a petition suggesting that the Government bring about legislation whereby it would bo an offence to deliver milk or cream to any dairy factory or receiving station containing added water or preservative of any kind. SALE OF PEDIGREE STOCK. Pedigree stock commands fairly high prices, but the sale of stock exhibited at Palmerstcn North Show did not quite come up to expectations. Ill© highest price reached was for a young Jersey bull, Sunglow (No. 4159), 'catalogued by Mr E. Eagle, jun., Carterton. His sire is Roberts (imp., No. 1343) and dam Belvedere Sungleam (No. 1553) Another youngster, Woodstock's Bushman, entered by Mr A. Banks and Son (Kiwitea), brought 20gs. In the female classes the following lots were disposed of: —Cow, Royal Lass, on account of Mr A. E. Both (Carterton), 7gs; heifer, Royal Plume, 22gs; heifer, Royal Sister, 19gs; heifer, Royal Leaf, £2B. On account of Dr Watson, of Bulls —Heifer, Beta of Bully, 16gs; heifer, Theta of Bulls, 22gs; heifer, lota of Bulls, 15J,gs. On account Mr C. E. Eraser (Johnsonvillo)—Cow, Zena, 29gs; cow, Gentle Zephyr, 28igs. On account Mr E. A. Ransom (Dannevirkc) — Cow, K See Dairy Girl, 21gs. In the Auckland district, in comparison, a much bettor sale took place at Pukekohc last_ week, when a special sale of registered pedigree Jersey cattle took place on account of Mr Alfred Kemp (Pollock) and others. 11l all 74 registered cattle and 35 grade catic were sold. There was a very large attendance, buyers being present from the north, Waikato, To Puke, Tauranga, Auckland, and surrounding districts. Competition was good and prices most satisfactory. Pedigree cows sold at from 14gs to 44gs; two-year-old heifers, 17ps to 33gs ; yearling heifers, lOgs to 21gs; heifer calves, sgs to 9gs; yearling to two-year-old bulls, lUgs to 23gs; grade cows and two-year-old heifers. lOgs to 15gs; 18-nionth-old heifers, £7 15s to £9 15s. AUCKLAND FROZEN MEAT. Frozen meat continues to leave Auckland in large quantities, and iigurcs concerning May's shipments of frozen meat are now available. The exports amounted to 3,296,9261 b, of which all was beef except 12,9491 b of veal. This quantity was more than three times the shipments in May last year, and nearly four times the quantity shipped in April. I LABOUR.—CANCELLATION OF REGISTRATION. ! A matter of considerable importance to the Wairarapa was introduced at the annual meeting of the Nat.ona] Dairy Association, held at Palmerston North, when Mr E. Moss (Eketahuna) referred to the action of the association in regard to an agreement recently made with dairy workers in the Wairarapa district. He complained that the association was countenancing the tactics of three men who were going about the Dominion to help in forming one big union of farm workers. These men were not dairy workers, and had no standing among them. He said an agreement had been made through their agency with dairy employees in the Wairarapa. He feared that the association might have power to bind the whole of the North Island. An agreement had been entered into, and s : gned by Mr Ilarkness, secretary of the association, with three men and a union that had no legal standing. Ho considered this dangerous to the dairying industry. Two members of the association also signed that agreement, and they instructed the secretary to sign. Mr Moss held this to be inimical to tlio industry. Ho therefore moved —" That the. registration of the National Dairy Association under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act be j rkness explained that a certain, hi .... started in tho Wellington district. ! ■ the A. P. Union, and it cited | every [ji ory in the Wellington district for an in i ■. 3 in wages. The association itself

was not cited. There were 22_ factories represented, and the matter was discussed, a committee being formed. Tins committee met tho men, and made with them a firstclass agreement. The Farmers' Union found out what had been done, and disapproved. But surely, if the Farmers' Union held it to bo its right to unite all its forces in one big union, it could not logically deny the right of the men to form themselves into on© big union. The committee was appointed to do the work, and it did it. The Farmers' Union claimed that the committee was not properly constituted; but a good agreement was made, and, that having been done, the employers, as honourable men, should carry it out. Mr Moss: Too good an agreement. Mr Ilarkness: You can't do away with it. But I have a groat objection to the Farmers' Unions endeavouring to settle matters affecting dairy factory workers. Mr Fisher (Carterton) objected to the Farmers' Union interfering. Tho agreement made by tho factory directors and the men was being honourably observed on both sides. Moreover, Mr Moss himself agreed to the committee entrusted with the negotiations. Mr Moss said he had no desire to see a wall raised between the interests of the dairying industry and the Farmers' Union. They were all farmers. What he objected to was coming to an agreement with men who were very astute and with no real interests of tho dairy workers at heart; but all they wanted was recognition by the association.

The motion of cancellation of the regis tration of the association was carried.