Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1909. THE DRIED MILK PROBLEM.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9698, 1 November 1909, Page 4

Wairarapa Daily Times [Established Third of a Century.] MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1909. THE DRIED MILK PROBLEM.

Wβ learn from au independent, but entirely reliable, source that the dried milk iudustry, which at one time gave promise of most successful results, is now almost nou-remuuerative, aud the plaut erected at Buuuythorpe is now idle aud unproductive. It appears that dried milk has not takeu with the general cousumer, aud though au order was recently received from Home for fifty tous, the order was very speedily countermanded, and uo further orders have siuce been put in hand. It appears that dried milk, which in New Zealand was made from whole milk, is now manufactured in Switzerland from separated milk, aud this article can be purchased iv Sydney, at the present time, at threepence per pound; whereas it was costing about one shilliug per pouud in New Zealand. It was impossible to continue its manufacture agaiust this competition, aud consequently the production of dried milk in New Zealand from whole milk lias beeu abaudoned as uuremuuerative. Messrs Nathan aud Co. contemplate making au effort to resuscitate the iudustry, after the same methods as those used iv Switzerland, which enable the manufacturers to laud it in Welliugtou at so low a figure—viz., by the- utilisation of separated milk. The firm latoly made au offer to the Buuuythorpe milk suppliers as follows—viz., to give them an addttioual halfpeuuy per pouud for butter fat, ou the condition that each supplier leaves one-half of his separated milk at the factory, takiug home the remainder for his pigs aud calves. Thus, if the coutract price of butter-fat for a particular period is, say, per lb for buttermaking, if half of each supplier's skimmed milk is left at the factory for the purpose of dried milk manufacture, the price will be reckoned as lid. The Buunythorpo 111 ilk suppliers are still considering Messrs Nathan aud Co. 's proposal, aud if cheese manufacture is uot takeu up ou a more extensive scale, they may probably close with it. The dried milk now being manufactured in Switzerland is, we understand, chiefly in deinaud by coufectiouers, the original more expensive article, made from whole milk, having gone out of consumption. Messrs Nathan and Co. havo beeu singularly unfortunate at Buuuythorpe iv respect of seeking to establish the dried milk industry. The initial expense was abnormally heavy, the machinery being very costly. Then the first factory was gutted by fire, its successor was seriously damaged by the malicious act of some person in causing an explosion, which greatly damaged the plant;, and the present very complete plant now stands idle. The settlers remain loyal to Messrs Nathan and Co., who, in their opinion, have treated them fairly, aud have done their best to establish valuable local industries, which it was hoped would prove serviceable to the settlers and the district.

Tue whole duty of the House this session, we presume, is to borrow all the money that is bori-owable in Lon-

don by a clever Treasurer in - the first instance, and, in the..seooud,, to devise expedients to increase taxation. The year 1910 bids fair to be a record for money raising in-New Zealand, and all parties in Parliament seem disposed to plunge. Money, borrowed money, is to be scattered throughout the land, and not even the Opposition dare protest against hair-raising extravagance. No one seems to say a word against the proposal to spend a hundred thousand pounds on a Wellington Post Office, chough everybody must see that such a sum is scaudalously large. The House is booming New Zealaud at the call of Sir Joseph Ward, au intrepid fiuaucier, who is a more daring thau a sate guide aud leader. He is an optimist of optimists and seoms to be too clevei for even his Scotch colleagues in the Cabinet, who might be supposed to be a little cautious. We.have passed through a year of depression which followed at the heels of a time when the people of this Domimouette over-borrowed and over-speut. Now the Government gives people every eucouragemeufc to agaiu over-borrow aud over-spend, aud very many of them will respond. New Zealaud, if it were prudently governed, is rich enough aud strong euough to right itself without the aid of large loaus. Already business has taken a turu for the better, but we should be very sorry to see anotner boom time come along, aud yet this is what Parliament is endeavouring to bring about. It may seem uugrateful to cavil at Sir Joseph Ward, who is doiug his best to bring about an immediate prosperity by a heavy shower of cheap money, but this is uot the way iv which a permanent prosperity is built up.

Absolute prohibition now exists in Icelaud, the Dauish King, Frederic, haviug confirmed a law passed by the Icelandic Althing (House of Representatives), prohibiting the importation or manufacture of liquor in any form suitable for driukiug. The law just passed applies to beer, spirits, aud wine, and to any dried preparations coutainiug more than 2%_ per cent, of alcohol. The manufacture of any alcoholic beverage, has been prohibited in Icelaud for some time, and the now law is directad, therefore, principally against importation. The consumption oC liquor iv Icelaud was never very considerable, the principal consumers of ardent spirits having beeu tourists aud Norwegian fishermen 011 the coast. The earlier resolution of the islanders, iv regard to the liquor trade, demonstrated iv a convincing manner that the Temperance sentiment was widely existent, as regards opposition to the manufacture of spirits; and when the plebiscite was takeu on the question of importation, the result was almost a foregone couclusiou. Icelaud has accepted the principle of the three-fifths majority. The Finlaud Parliameut, two years ago, passed legislation similar to that which is now law in Iceland, but the Czar withheld his asseut thereto. With regard to liquor restrictions in Icelaud it may be stated that the ouly exceptions are in favour of the importation of Holy Communion wine by the clergy, and alcohol required for medicinal aud industrial purposes —in the last-muntioued tlie alcuhol to be made unsuitable for drinking. It is significant to note that the duties on liquor constituted about one-fifth of the total revenue of the country, and the Icelanders will now have to make up the deficit by fresh taxation.