THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LII, Issue 187, 11 September 1909, Page 5

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY.

ASSISTANC X WANTED

M (iCKSTKI) APPOINTMENT OF A LOM>ON UltADEll.

WHAT TIIK MINISTER THINKS

On Wednesday afternoon a deputation U l>icnciitiii}.r the executive of the i\atioii;il D;iiry Association waited on tho lion T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agiieiihure, and usked that the (Joy- »•» • 1 1 1 1 1 u i v should appoint a grader to deal with New Zealand pioilucc in London depot ts the New Zealand 'I iine.s). 'I lie deputation consisted oi Mesv,ia. M'r'ailane, I'isher, and HarklIC.SS.

Replying, tin' Minister said this was (Ik- tiibt occasion on which the question <>! tlif appointment of a Home pioduee grader liad been brought niidcr Ins notice, lit- would look into I lie timstio.i of Midi ;iu appointment, but lv' could ii(»t, off-hanu, promise that it would lit- made. It was. largely .1 question of \\'»y« Miid means, and just lion ncry caic had t<> be exercised in connection with opcnditurc. "I know cidv too well vhat wonlil be tlie result of tli<- proposed method of arbitration." continued the Minister. "When ai Home 1 snw the effects on our meat liadi. 1 do not ihink the Home and Ko reign Produce Exchange will agree to a prodine grader stationer] by us in London acting as arbitrator or the im.'il court of appeal in rases whore a wwii s :ne unalile to come to an agi< i inent regiuding claims. It may he lli it oh inn to the increased meistii!e in Initter Jind to the fact that <licc.se i> alleged to be frequently shipped m nn immature state, the graders' ( i 1 1 il lcatc-. aie not perham so reliable ;ts fount ih. mid it inav be because of this thai the Home buyers are using this sis an excuse to get aw ay from the | graders' certificates. As I have said, I know what this arbitration means. MARKET ROBBERY. It has meant in ruv experience nothing less than robbery in the meat niaiKct, ami once the Home buyer succeerl.s in gotring it a|iplied to dairy produce it may bring about untold loss to shippers and consequently to the dairy fanners of New Zealand. What occurred in connection with our meat was that they made two claims on the same lot, the first on account of alleged damage. AVhen allowances had been granted in respect to this, they came ' •iloiit; with a second claim for deductions on the ground that goods were not up to quality. And what was (and still is) the process by which these claims are assessed? Tho vendor has to employ a recognised assessor — a man who gets his living by making these assessments, and the more claims that aro made the greater is his advantage, for he gets his two, four, six or eight guineas for each assessment, according to the parcel assessed. The buyer's nssessor is frequently a man in tho trade, who might bo a buyer himself the next day and have a claim for compensation. It is, therefore, not difficult to see in what direction his leanings would be. Tho assessment is made on a 10 per cent, lot, which may be from the balance of the parcel left in tho cool stores, and naturally it is frequently not the best or even a fair* samplo of tho parcel. I have with mo now papers confirming this. If an agreement cannot bo arrived at be- ( tween the two assessors as to what compensation should be allowed for damage, then a third man is called in as arbitrator. 'This last is always a man on the market, and it can be leadily understood, in what way his decision 'is likely to go. I was Home when the second claim — "not up to quality" — began to be made. The result was that these claims became so serious that on a falling market there was sometimes, little left for the producer. It was a hard fight to break down this s\btem of double claims. As with meat, so it might be with dairy produce it we once agree to submit to arbitration. ADVICE TO THE TRADE. My a<h ice to those engaged in the dairy trude is tiist to de^ot- your closest attention to avoiding anything that will detract from the high character of \our butter, by excessive n'oisture or'anv other thing; and regarding clieese to hoiK the quality ui> to the very highe.t standard and sec that no !:iisn:iture output is shipned, and thus i'l the ful'ue h:t\e nothing but the \<r\ best butter and cheese leaving our -hi>H". The deiiiirtment is placing .it <!•<• disposal of the dairy farmers the best (nullified men to be procured to instruct them as to what to avoid ,'intl what to ndopt, so that the nutnut inav be of th" very highest. When that has been done, resist to the utmost every attempt to submit to the I conditions demanded hv the Home and i Koieign Produce Exchange regarding the rejection of the New Zealand Government graders' certificates. Let all the dairy factories unite as a solid lodv in opposing such provision, and, 'I necessary extend youi co-operation to the Australian Commonwealth, beciMise if once the provisions soitjfnt to be im nosed by the Produce Exchange iirr> adopted you might on a falling market suffer to a very serious extent. Thereftue have l'othiw to do with London arbitration." In conclusion. Air. M-H'kenzie said he recognised that a "irnclor in London fidlv acquainted . v, i(li ih" New Ze-iland svyteii of urad- j "•; and manufacture, would be of ser- \ ice. He would, j'niong other thinp-. <c :iKo :ible to watch the tastes of Hdine coustiiiicis, because the tastes of i lwonle differ in the north from those in London He Mould be glad to i'o mto the question suhniittfd by the fli putation, luit. as already intimated. lie could make no promise, as the matter was a question of ways and means.