DAIRY LEGISLATION

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 17 (Supplement)

DAIRY LEGISLATION

SOME IMPORTANT ACTS. WIDE SCOPE OF REGULATIONS. \ It is shown elsewhere that the Dairy Industry Act, 1894, was the true starting point of dairying progress in New Zealand. Occasionally Acts ■ have been amended, but, speaking generally,’ most of the administration, has been by means of regulations issued Under the authority of the Acts, and usually discussed very fully with the leaders of the industry before they are brought into force. In tracing the history of the dairy industry a brief reference to the various amending legislation is of some interest. The first was the Act of 1928 of which the Director of the Dairy Division, Mr. W. M. Singleton, writes:— “The principal provisions of the 1898 Act related to monetary advances to dairy companies by the Government for' the purchase of land for dairy factory sites, and for the erection p£ buildings and purchase of suitable plant. This portion of the Act was not popular; with dairy companies who could obtain suitable finance from banks, and the;,Government lost money on some of -the few occasions when loans were' advanced under these provisions. ’ '. ’ ; “The year 1907,” Mr. Singleton. continues, “is memorable for the. passing of the Butter Export Bill, the main provision of this measure being the limiting of the moisture content of butter to a 16 per cent, maximum. The Bill came into force on January 1, 1908, odd chum-

ings being tested at the various grad* stores, . \ . “Later all the previous- legislation • was consolidated in the Dairy Industry Act of 1908. \ • "In 1926 several amendments were mad* to the Dairy Produce General Regulations, the most important being provision for the compulsory grading of cream, which came into force in No vember , or that year. ' . . , “In December, 1928, regulations governing' the. manufacture of standardised cheese were gazetted. There is no need to refer to the effects of this legislation and the storm of controversy which followed, and in 1931 the export of standardised cheese was prohibited. - • “The important item regarding 1932 was the introduction of the compulsory grading of milk for cheesemaking. This was without compulsory differential payments, Compulsory differential payments cam* in the following year, 1933. The whole subject of milk grading has received so much publicity during the last : two or three years as to make further, comment unnecessary. Important legislation bearing on the subject related to the pro- , hibition of transfer of supply during the normal dairying’season. “During 1933 legislation pertaining the licensing of dairy factories' and - th* registration of dairy factory managers 'was passed. The present year, 1934, will no doubt be remembered in days to coms for the setting up of the Dairy Industry ? Commission.”