The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1911. WASTE DAIRY PRODUCTS.

Waikato Times, Issue 12185, 21 September 1911, Page 4

The Waikato Times. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1911. WASTE DAIRY PRODUCTS.

The Masterton Times has had placed at its disposal a letter written to a business man from a Wellington merchant with reference to the item in the Budget which promises to take into favorable consideration the question of turning into profitable account the waste products from our butter and cheese factories. The writer says that this is a question he has been interested in for some considerable time past, and he has frequently taken occasion to lay before Government Ministers and officials the results of his investigations in Holland, France. Belgium, America and Australia. He says : '■' Ther e is no 'question that the dairy farmer in this country should not be dependent on the British market for butter and cheese only. The products of butter and cheese factories, if properly treated, could be profitably disposed of.'' But, he says, the industry must, in its early stages at any rate, receive encouragement and assistance from the Government. " On account of the high cost of labor and restrictive factory legislation, the cost of producing, in this country such articles as casein, sugar of 'milk, dried milk, etc., is very excessive when compared with the cost of manufacture in other parts of the world. Our distance from, and the cost of transportation to. Eastern and other markets provide further reasons why this industry should receive as much consideration as the woollen, iron, or any other manufacturing industry.' - The writer proceeds to point out that, if the price of cheese continues to advance as has been the case lately, the time will soon arrive when very little butter will be produced in New Zealand. He goes on :—" Efforts bgve already been made to establish the manufacture of casein, but without success. As you know, we have also tried the dry milk, and although we can do a considerable local trade, the labor cost, factory legislation and the necessary extra freights and packing prevent us from competing in the world's market with other countries; so if this industry (which should be a natural one for New Zealand) is to be successfully established some as sistance in some shape or form would have to be 4i\en by the Government. The result of the successful establishment of such an industry would, I feel sure, be to the advantage of the Dominion as a whole." The importance of establishing such a manufacture in connection with dairy factories is acknowledged by everyone ; and the possibilities of it have been amply demonstrated by the larg>e profits made by those manufacturers who intelligently utilise the by-pro-ducts of, for instance, the meatfreezing and fruit-canning industries. It is to be hoped that some practicable scheme will be brought forward by the Government.