STANDARDISED CHEESE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 423, 14 November 1930, Page 6

STANDARDISED CHEESE

DEPUTATION TO MINISTER INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, November 12. Particular concern at the possibility of a prohibition being placed on standardised cheese was expressed by a large deputation of farmers and factory directors representing dairying district! of the Nurth Island, which waited upon rhe Minister of Agriculture, Hon, A. J. Murdoch, to-day. The deputation was introduced by Mr W. .Lee Martin, M.Pfor Raglan, and it was claimed by, the speakers that, no justification existed for banning standardised cheese. A large financial loss to the farmers wa! anticipated to result from any such action being made. The Minister promised that he would not take any ac< tion until the whole case had bcca investigated. Air Dynes Fulton, a member of the Dairy Produce Control Board, congratulated the Minister on the fair and impartial attitude he had adopted in giving each party a chance to state it! case. The factories represented wcr* responsible for tho 'annual productioi of 4000 tons of cheese, or about halt the Dominion total. No complaint! were received from England for some time after standardised choose *wns exported under official pormrssion. It was felt that if the word “standardised” were abolished the overseas consumers would not know the. ilifforence. Thu best experts were not able to detect one cheese from the other, as had been proved by actual tests- The prohibition of standardised cheese would me«n a serious Joss to the dairy farmers generally. If Government control were carried out, a satisfactory basis for the production of standardised cheese would no doubt be brought about. Mr Fulton said that if both sides of the case were known, he believed that three-quarters of the farmers in tho country would favour the retention of the standardised product. An appeal for a fair trial for standardised cheese was made by Mr J B. Murdoch of Hawera, who asked the Minister not to take hasty action without a full investigation. Mr P- J. Small of Kairanga, said that many boards of directors had induced factory managers to strive for yield. However, to-day tho factories were aiming for quality nnd not. yield, nnd he was confident that there would be a great difference this year. He wns convinced that if the scheme were given a fair trial the position would work out satisfactorily. The .Minister: What do you call a fair trial? Air Small: At least another 12 months, with an investigation of the position in the old country on a more stable market. Mr J. G- Brackon of Pahiatua. said that tho Dairy Control Board had encroached upon a field which did not concern it. On the one hand, Mr TorAs, an amateur and chairman of the board, was telling the farmers what sort of cheese was wanted, and on the other Air W- AL Singleton, an expert and Director of the Dairy (Division, was instructing the farmers how to make better standardised cheeseAir C. J. Parlanc, of the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, estimated that if standardised ebeese were abolished the annual Joss to tho farmers would be about £100.609, Mr H. B. Lcppar, of North Taranaki, said his factory handled only about 400 tons of cheese, yet the process of standardisation meant an extra £3714 for distribution to the suppliersOther speakers were Messrs A. V. Tait (South Taranaki). H. Bond (Manawatu), D. Darrell (Waikato), A. B. Muggridge (Taranaki), W. Reid (Bay of Plenty), and F. H- AndersonMinister’s Reply The Minister said the question was really a domestic one affecting the farmers and the Dairy Control Board. The board had gone to the Government, however, as a last resort, in order to bring about the consummation of the course which it considered necessary to safeguard the industry. Air Murdoch said he would tell the deputation quite frankly that he would not consider standardisation being rejected in the meantime with the object of raising the question in March. He was certain that the issue would be left unsettled indefinitely. The whole issue seemed to be reduced to that of preserving the good name of the Dominion on the overseas markets. If the Dairy Board did its duty it would look after the country’s reputation- It was perfectly clear that this disapproval had been brought about by the fact that certain factories had supplied an inferior article.

The Alinister said he had enough evidence in his possession to damn a number of factories in the North Island. They had sent out a product they had no right to in an endeavour to place cheese pn the market merely for the purpose of “getting money both ways.” The deputation could be assured that nothing would be done by the Government until the whole situation had been investigated. A cablegram had already been sent to the Prime Alinister asking him to get into touch with the merchants at Home concerning the marketing of standardised cheese. When he had all the evidence before him, he would give a decision, and, to the best of his ability, Mr Murdoch added, it would be made in the interests of the Industry'as a whole.