IRISH BACON

Waipa Post, Volume XXIV, Issue 1688, 19 November 1925, Page 3

IRISH BACON

Mil H. G. DICKIE

An address relative to the question of handling New Zealand produce on the Home market was delivered to a meeting of farmers at Waitotara by Mr ;B. G. Dickie, Reform candidate for the Patea seat, who recently returned from an extended visit to the Old Country. At the outset he explained that he had just returned after spending three years in London, where he had the opportunity of watching the manner in which the Dominion's 'dairy produce was dealt with. In his opinion a great deal depended on farmers maintaining the quality of their produce, and, if that were done, New Zealand had not much to fear. The establishment of the Meat Producers' Board had undoubtedly been a step in the right direction. He had been at Home when Mr Leeds had opened the London office of the Board, and he had also seen Mr Forsyth, take over. There was still room for improvement, however, and what was much needed was a man who had wide experience in the handling of meat. Quality claims were often made, and it was essential that the New Zealand producers should be represented by a man well up in his work. The ejection of the Producers' Board was, in nis opinion, fair,

but it did not provide for representatives of the dairymen or of pig growers. Quite a lot of beef, he pointed out, was being exported, as also was the case with bacon, and it was only fair that the | growers of this produce should be represented on -the Board of Control. This was his firm conviction, despite the fact that he realised that as yet the bacon industry was only in its infancy. Undoubtedly it would grow in time. He had heard that a consignment of pork, sent from the Dominion to Belfast, was cured arid sold in England as best Irish bacon.

In reference to New Zealand's dairy produce, Mr Dickie said that the butter was used largely for blending. There had been a great ideal of discussion over the enforcement of the* compulsory clauses of the Dairy Control Act, but he thought that, in the end, absolute control was the best thing. It was essential, to his mind, that every effcrt should be made on behalf of the dairy producers to keep their butter up to standard. New-Zea-land butter was 'now being sold in tins and cartons, and the Dairy Control

Board had been instrumental in eliminating the multiplicity of brands with the 'result that the produce appeared under the Dominion's name. No doubt the decision to equip a laboratory in Hawera and employ a scientist in connection with the dairy business, would

do good. Trouble was often located in cream, and a month's supply wouM be affected before the defect was discovered, and ultimately an inferior article would reach the London market. If New Zealand producers paid particular attention to quality, there was no doubt that their produce would sell with the best in the world. In conclusion, Mr Dickie reminded his hearers that it was an easy matter to dispose of a good article, but, on the other hand, it was an extremely difficult' proposition to sell an inferior class of product.