The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1930. ACTION DEMANDED.

Southland Times, Issue 21218, 20 October 1930, Page 6

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1930. ACTION DEMANDED.

The tide has definitely turned against standardized cheese, and the meeting in Taranaki should be the last signal required by the Department of Agriculture for the repeal of Jhe regulations making it possible for skimmed, milk cheese to be exported from the Dominion. In a speech that covered the ground effectively, the chairman of the Dairy Control Board left no room for two opinions on this subject, and he cut away arguments supporting the need for conferences on this matter. The pursuit of yield brought in this movement for standardized cheese, and, in spite of warnings, it was endorsed by the greater part of the industry, the North Island section; but experience has taught its lesson, and the prospect of heavier competition on an unfavourable market .'should be sufficient to convince the authorities that action must be taken at once, before the season has gone any further. Opinions gathered in the Old Country by Mr loins show that the consumers will not have standardized cheese, and, no matter what may be the views of the producers, the stubborn fact to be remembered -is that the consumer will' not buy what he does not like. It has been a costly experiment, because it lias had an ill effect on the prestige of New Zealand cheese, the reputation of which stood high until last season. Openness in this country’s cheese provides a problem difficult enough in all eonscience, but standardization has added another to it, and the most, effective method of dealing with the situation is to ensure that no standardized cheese goes out of New Zealand, and that the “full cream” reputation of the Dominion’s product is restored at once. That can be done only through the enforcement of regulations, backed by the full weight of Government inspection, so that all suspicion of skimming will disappear. As one speaker at. the Taranaki meeting said, it is no use leaving a loophole /for the large factories. Standardization has earned such a bad name in its single season that the only hope of restoring the situation is to wipe standardization out lock, stock and barrel. There should be no division in the industry on this point, and the. best way to avoid division is to secure prompt action. The pursuit of yield lias been expensive; it is now time to turn energetically to the pursuit.’of quality once more, increasing the vote for research, if necessary, in order that with the abolition of standardization there can be given to the buyers of New Zealand cheese the assurance that the main defect in the Dominion’s product -is being attacked resolutely. So far nothing definite has been presented to the industry to explain the cause of openness or to propose a cure, but progress has been made, and the industry has every right to expect that' the research ’ work now being done will produce results. In the meantime, it is to the advantage of the South Island section of the industry to support the movement for the abolition of standardization, especially in assisting to prevent any further delay. The industry has had plenty of time for the discussion, and further conferences will not help. It is obvious that the bulk of the industry is alive io the need for speedy action, and the Minister of Agriculture should be convinced that the evidence supporting this demand is too serious to be ignored, that the only possible, course for the welfare of the industry has been outlined, and that the application of the remedy is of the utmost urgency.