MEETING OF MILK-SUPPLIERS.

Waikato Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 3500, 29 November 1894, Page 2

MEETING OF MILK-SUPPLIERS.

A MK.ETINO of delegate? and other milksuppliers, to the various creameries under Messrs Reynolds and Co's management in Waikato wa< held in Delaney's Hall, Ohaupo, at noon oil Tuesday. Amongst those present we noticed the tollowing from the various centres, viz.: Patevangi—Messrs Webb, Bull, Germanu, Smith, McOallum and Finch ; Whatawhata—Mr Livingstone; To Kowhai— Mr C i.imnier; To Av\airmtu--Messi's R. Bell and Wallace Jones; Ohaupo— Messrs Kusabs, Potts (2), Krippner and Karl; Ngaruawahia-Mr ritterson; Kihikihi—Mr Brirlgman; Pukerimii--Mcssis ScoU", Sturges-, Gane, Cubis and Hughes; Hamilton—Mr Eyre; Piikekura —Messrs Vosper and Comer. I here ft'ere also a number of othms preset, who arrived after the mee iug had commenced. On tl.e imitat on of the conveners, Mr R. Reynolds a member, aud Mr 0. Farley, the managing director of Messrs Reynolds and Co., weie present. Mr F. C. Germann was voted to the chair, and Mr W. J. Bndgman kindly consented to act as secretary.

The minutes of the meeting held a week previously were read awd confirmed, but no fun her steps were taken towards the formation of the Dairymen's Union, as mentioned therein.

Mr W. J. Bridgman said the meeting had been called to see if the reason for the low percentages obtained by the suppliers throughout; the distr.ct and the rapid and large variations could be accounted for. As a means of arriving at, this end he suggested that the whole of the milk from one factory should be kept apart and separated by itself, and the cream therefrom churned so as to ascertain the exact amount of butter obtained from it. The same milk should be tested by the. Babcook. so that the results obtained from the churn and the Babcock could be compared, If this were done under the' supervision of a delegate, appointed by the meeting, he thought all the suppliers would be prepared to sta-'d by the result. It would show where the leakage was,if there was any.

Mr Eyre did not think that the reason for the low tests lay with Messrs Reynolds and Co., but with the producers themselves. The suppliers. had agreed' to submit to the Babcock tester, which was now universally used by all buttermakers, aud they could not expect Messrs Reynolds and Co. to make any exception with the Waikato suppliers, as the company's produce had now to compete in the markets of the world. He pointed out that the separator would beat the churn, but the churn would beat the Babcock tester, which only showed the amount of butter fat. in,ihe milk, whereas there were other constituents in manufactured butter.' In his opinion the .variations in the weather had a lot to do with the rapid variations of the tests. Iu the .sharp cold nips that have been experienced this season the cows have required, the t /fat•'that| shoi|ld have gone into the millc-tio keep -np the animal heat. Too many people, regarded the fow as a mere machine, but they would fiud ou.t that slie was not in any vtay like a machine,

Mr Webb, speaking for the Paterangi suppliers,' c aid they were not dissatisfied with the Babiock tester, but they did' not think it was 'properly used. . . If it were used propeily he did not think the. returns from the same cows \yould vary from 3 S per cent one week to 2'B; the next, and then to 3'4 the following week. He contended that the use of the p'pette did not do justice to the overnight's' milk. . ''

MrGermann instanced milk that varied from '2 8 to 4*4 under the Rabcock tester and lie'pointed out that Mr-Armstrong, who lues a separator, was making lib,of butter from 241 bio 25glb of his milk which "was not a great variation'. He thought that the samples might be injured in. transit, and stated that .all the .suppliers would be more satisfied if the milk was tested at each factory aa was done la«L year. Mr Webb, who had been milking for 25 yeirs, had never kuown.sueh variations before. The returns in September were all right, but the fa'ling off commenced in October.

Mr Bridgman expressed himself as sititfied 1 with the correctness of the Babcock teat, but he did not think it was being promrly used, the test for the night's milk not being taken in accordam e with the instructions with the machine which state that the test is to be made with the warm milk. He moved that Messrs Reynolds and Co. be re : queoted to fall in with his suggestion as above.

Mr Livingstone seconded the prop'osi tion.

Mr Smith thought the proper steps to take jWonld be to state their grievance to Messrs Reynolds and Co., and see what suggestions they may have to make to remedy it. He moved accordingly. Mr.Gane said that before Messrs Reynolds and Co. could make any sugs»f stions they must know if the grievances are real ones. The cause of the grievance he thought was that the samples are not l>laced in the expert's hands in a satisfactory condition. He expressed the opinion of many suppliers that the tests should be made at the factory last year when there were no complaints, Jit; seconded Mr Smith's amendment, Mr Webb said it was the wish of the Paterangi suppliers that the old system flf te<ting at the factory be reverted to. Mi Jno Bell was in favour of daily tests at wcli factory, Mr \Vebbmoved that Messrs Reynolds iuid Co. be requested to test the milk daily at the various creameries, ■ This was seconded by Mr Cubis and carried, neither Mr Smith's nor Mr Bridgnnn's motions being put to the meeting. Mr Farley said that as far as the com-

pany were concerned they had done everything ill their power to meet the suppliers, and they could do no more. To revert to the old system of testing at the creameries would be aretrogadc step and one to which the company would not agree. He would grant the use of any of the Babcock testers at the factory for the suppliers to check the tests for themsel 'es, but they must carry out the check tests in the presence of the factory manager. If the company were to make any further alteration they would be accused of employing incompetent men. Complaints were sure to crop up whenever low tests occurred. Last year the milk had been tested daily and the return compared with the composite test and the result was in favour of the composite i test.

Mr Farley, in reply to a question, said that they were not getting the same return through the churn as they should get as showGon tht Babcock chart, which stated that 251b of milk giving 3*6 per cent, of butter fat should give lib of butter.

In reply to Mr Tucker, Mr Farley said that' to srefc the nights' and mornings' milk tested separately, it would only be necessary for the suppliers to come to the factory twice, when two sets of samples would be taken. The nights' and mornings' milking's had been tested separately and had come out almost the same.

Mr Eyre said last year he had tried the nights' and mornings 1 milk and the results had been very close, and sometimes in favour of the nights' milk. He had been opposed to the Babcock tester, but since he had taken steps to take independent tests the only fault he had to find with it was that it was too accurate. They all knew that often at one churning they could make a pound more butter from a gallon of cream than at another. Replying to Mr Germann, Mr Farley said that he could not account for the low tests, but the same complaints were general throughout the colony. He thought the percentages would improve as the season goes on. Mr Tucker complained of the delay sometimes in taking the test sample through the pipette after the larger sample has bean taken from the cans, owing to the managers having too much work to 'do. • ' 1

■Mr Farley said the company's instructions to the managers were very emphatic about exercising the greatest care in taking the samples, and he would give every complaint the greatest attention, The present method of taking the samples was that approved by the meeting of delegates at Hamilton, although he urged ou them then, and he did so again now, to adopt the drip system, which was the ono approved by all scientists and the one in almost general use throughout the world. He, however, luist not be understood to say. that the pipette did not. give a fair test. I '/V : Mr Wallace Jones said the Te Awanmtu suppliers-were quite satisfied with the present method of,taking.the tests. Mr Finch sugge.»ted ; that Messrs Reynolds and Go; take one supplier's jintrnings' fmilk for: a week and see if.it made any difference. . ~,,, lf ?

Mr Striith pointed out that it' was strange that the returns of the milk sent to the creameries should vary'; but not the inillc aM private factory. , In reply to a supplier, Mr Farley said he could not say off-hand how many pounds of milk were required to make a pound of butter.. Mr R. Reynolds thanked the suppliers for inviting tliem to the meeting. ' The company believed they were doing what was right in the matter of the. testing, but if they were making a mistake it was for the suppliers tc point it out;. \ It lay with the 'suppliers to find out the reason of the low festa, as the company were unable to do so. At Newstead where they had four milking stations th® tests gave the percentages' as 2*8,3 0,3'0, and 3*2,' and at 'Newstead, they had been selecting the best' cow's for' some timp. He quite agreed with the idea of the suppliers getting a Babcook tester for themselves to check the tests. He referred to the unfair and unmanly way in which a writer to one of the papers had used Messrs Reynolds and Co. 's name as if they were the culprits in connection with the low tests. The reference was to a, test made last year when Messrs Reynolds and Co.'s tests had been,proved wrong, and for which they had made the fullest reparation. This matter had heen made a lot of, but there'had been a second check-test made, when Messrs Reynolds and Co.'s tests had been proved correct, and nothing had been said of th's.

■ After some desultory conversation, Mr Smith moved 'that the suppliers at each creamery be recommended to get a Babcock tester for themselves so as to check the tests made by Messrs Reynolds and Co.

This was seconded by Mr Finch and carried.

Mr Favley said that, in conjunction with the "New Zealand Dairy Association, they had approached the Government, a king them to tike some steps to check the,tests in the interests of tiie suppl ers

Mr Smith moved that the Government be lequested to send an expert to assist in a riving at some satisfactory conelusi- ri with reference to the prevailing low testa.

Seconded by Mr Livingstone and car ried,

A vote of thanks to Messrs Reynolds and Farley for attending and the Chairman for presiding closed the meeting.

In order to get over the dissatisfaction in the minds of the milk suppliers over the variations in the milk tests, about which so much has been said and written, it will be remembered that'quite recently Messrs Reynolds and Co. asked the Government to appoint an analyst to test all samples. Tne ti Ho wing reply from Mr J» J). Ritchie, the secretary of the

Agricultural .Department, under date November 22nd, 1894, has been received by the Company :'■ Referring to our several communications on the subject of testing milk supplied to dairy factories, etc., I have now to inform you that your request for the appointment of a Government analyst has been considered by the Minister, but he regrets tliafc he is unable at present to accede to your wishes. I hear complaints ara pretty general of the quality of the milk this season, and I am afraid we cannot expect the best results till farmers wake up to the fact that cows require to be treated more liberally, especially during the winter months."