DAIRY RESEARCH LABORATORY

Southland Times, Issue 23374, 4 December 1937, Page 18

DAIRY RESEARCH LABORATORY

Sought By Southland Factory Managers

REQUEST REFERRED TO COMMITTEE PROBLEMS IN MAKING OF CHEESE The establishment of a dairy research laboratory at some suitable point in the South Island and preferably in Southland where by far the greater amount of dairying is carried out has been requested by the Southland and Otago Cheese Factory Managers’ Union and will be considered at a conference at Invercargill on December 14.

The request was first made after a discussion at the annual meeting of the union in June last when the various problems facing factory managers were discussed and the feeling expressed that there was need for some institution nearer than Palmerston North from which managers could obtain advice in meeting unusual situations which arose from time to time and procure starters when the factory supply failed. In recent years factory managers have found their work much more difficult than formerly, various bacteriological troubles arising and making ready access to expert advice essential. Starters frequently give trouble , and while new supplies can be obtained from the Dairy Research Institute at Massey College there is more delay than the manager can contemplate. The regular result has been that the manager has had to apply to his nearest factory neighbour for a new starter to replace his own. Many other problems require consideration in the factories and the managers feel that the industry in Southland is sufficiently important to justify laboratory facilities similar to those in the North Island being readily available.

Since the request was first sent forward there has been a good deal of correspondence between the union, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and Massey Agricultural College. It has been decided to refer the matter to a sub-committee consisting of Professor W. Riddet, Director of the Dairy Research Institute at Massey College, Dr E. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Mr A. J. Murray, secretary of the Dairy Factory Managers’ Association, a representative of the South Island Dairy Association and a representative of the Cheese Factor/ Managers’ Union. Mr W. McKeown has been appointed to represent the last named organization. The committee will meet at Invercargill on December 14 and will subsequently confer with the directors of the South Island Dairy Association. Opinion both among the managers and the producers appears to be fairly strongly in favour of the establishment of a laboratory in Southland. It is contended that this province is the logical location for the institution because of the extent of cheese manufacture in Southland and its greater isolation from the North Island facilities.

The managers state that their problems are becoming progressively specialized and there is a real need for expert advice. They appreciate the assistance which is available from the instructors of the Dairy Division of the Department of Agriculture, but they claim that laboratory assistance is necessary to a greater extent than is possible now. Owing to the great distance from the Dairy Research Institute they consider that they are not deriving full benefits from the laboratory.