DOMINION HONEY ‘ GRADER WANTED.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 144, 19 June 1931, Page 11

DOMINION HONEY ‘ GRADER WANTED.

BEEKEEPERS TO ASK FOR A NEW APPOINTMEI

Grading problems were discussed by the National Beekeepers’ Association of New Zealand at its annual conference yesterday morning. After a lengthy discussion, the following motion was carried :—“This conference protests against the departure from the department's policy, relating to the grading of honey which has resulted in placing upon the chief apiarist (Mr E. A. Earp) the added duties of grading honey, thus seriously lessening his value in his capacitv as chief executive officer. It is vital in the interests of the industry to have uniformity in grading. To obtain this, we urge the Department to create the position of Dominion honey grader, this position to be filled by the most competent officer available from the present staff of the Chief Apiarist.’* Mr T. Smithers (West Coast) said that the necessity for one grader to grade all the honey was most keenly felt. One grader might grade honey at a certain number of points in one centre, but another grader would grade it differently at another place, with as many as four or five points difference. “If. we had only one grader,” said Mr Smithers, “we would know what class of honey we had to produce to gain the highest number of points.” Mr W. B. Bray (Canterbury) said that Mr Earp had been made the scapegoat of the whole discussion. The chairman (Mr R. Gibb) asked Mr Bray to withdraw the remark. Mr Bray said he would not withdraw it.

Mr Gibb said it was not a question of personalities. It was the principle of the thing with which the association was concerned. What was wanted was uniformity in grading throughout Aew Zealand, so that everyone would get the same deal. If Mr Earp was to do all the grading himself, there could be no complaint, but different officers m different parts were doing it. 1 here had been differences of several points in the grading.