A Revieu- of the Year\'^ Work. 206 



ought to be kept for stock that have to be wintered. A proportion 

 will be ruslied in for sale, the markets will become <rlutted, and prices 

 will fall all round. Whereas, if sufficient cool .storage were provided, 

 the price of lambs and mutton iti Melbourne would be ruled by 

 London and not by an over-supplied local market. 



It may be argued there would be a great loss to the Government 

 in maintaining a sufficient amount of cool storage to meet all seasons 

 of plenty. This, however, need not be the case. Last year, for 

 example, when the export of butter was re<luced to a minimum, the 

 loss on the export business was less than £400, although the rent of 

 the cool stores is £I5,0i)0 per annum — an exorbitant sum. If an 

 addition of Id. per carcase had been charged on lambs and sheep, 

 several hundred pounds profit would have been made on the year's 

 transactions. IE this is the financial result in a bad year, I think 

 there is little need to dread any loss that might occur from over 

 expansion. In any case, such loss could, always be recouped in a 

 good season, and would not be one-hundredth part of the loss entailed 

 upon producers owing to the want of space. 



All fruit exported should first be chilled before shipment, and 

 would be so chilled if space were available. This would allow out- 

 side lines of steamers to compete against mail steamoi^s, and would 

 cause a reduction of rates equal to €3,000 on 60,000 cases, which was 

 the volume of our exports to England last year. From this the 

 orchardists would benefit not only in freights, but in the fact that 

 their fruit would carry better. 



Voluntary grading of butter will be undertaken this year, which 

 will enable proprietors of factories to sell in advance to merchants 

 who previously have found it difficult to operate in Victoria, although 

 buying largely in New Zealand. The deterioration of butter by the 

 abuse of the home separator is a serious matter, and, if not checked 

 will detrimentally affect the industry. I would deal with this evil by 

 Act of Parliament in a very simple but drastic manner. The act 

 would provide that all sellers of milk and cream, creameries, factories, 

 and separators, be licensed, and fees charged for the licenses 

 sufficient in amount to pay the cost of inspection. Powers woidd also 

 be provided so that inspectors could cancel the license of any dairy- 

 man whose cream or milk was not delivered at the factory or railway 

 station in a sound condition. This would end the evil in a very few 

 months, as those whose licenses were cancelled would soon find means 

 to deliver their cream in a satisfactoiy condition. 



The home separator is a great convenience to many farmers, and 

 its use will increase. Wo must take its existence as a settled matter, 

 and provide means for prc^venting its mis-use. 



The improvement of the quality of Victorian cheese is a very 

 simple matter. The factories are so few that one good instructor 

 could raise the quality of the production all over the State in twelve 

 months. That there will be little or no improvement without instruc- 



