926 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



REPORT ON DAIRYING IN NEW ZEALAND. 



By R. Croire. 



The instructions received on the 16th May from the Director to 

 inquire into the system of dairying in New Zealand implied that 

 that colony was gaining- ground as compared with Victoria, that the 

 Government grading and stamping of butter prior to export had 

 assisted progress there, and that on account of the disclosures before 

 the Batter Inquiry Commission legislation would be asked for and 

 therefore all the information possible should be secured at once 

 and be ready first hand when needed. 



The number of inquiries poiiring in daily since my return prompts 

 me to prepare a preliminary summary, as through pressure of work 

 I see no prospect of preparing a thoroughly comprehensive report for 

 some time to come. 



My views being so well known I thought it possible that those 

 who have always strenuously opposed the grading of butter for export 

 might say I was biassed before starting. In order therefore to 

 investigate impartially I changed my original programme consider- 

 ably, and instead of going on to Wellington where possibly I might 

 be recommended to visit select localities I went into the country alone 

 at Auckland and on through to the famous Taranaki district on the 

 West coast of the North Island, where I spent a fortnight visiting 

 dairy farms and butter factories, penetrating nearly to the heart of 

 the wild King country where dairying was carried on. I desired to 

 ascertain the effect of the grading system or as so many here are 

 pleased to term it, Government interference, on even the remotest 

 settlers. 



I, posing as an ardent opponent, used all the stock arguments 

 einployed here against the practice, condemning it as a gross waste 

 of time, energy, and money, which did no more than provide billets 

 for an army of graders, and urging that if necessary at all, grading 

 should be done at the London end, or at the factory, that the graders 

 Avere liable to make mistakes, and that butter graded as first quality 

 here would turn out in some cases second quality in London, and 

 rice verso, whilst the Government stamp on the boxes did not help 

 its sale in any way and so on. 



I soon realised that I had not come fully prepared as I had omitted 

 to bring a phonographic recorder with me, the poor unfeeling notes I 

 made at the time conveying no idea of the opinions given or the 

 forcible way in which they were expressed. It was also very soon 

 made manifest to me that I should have been accompanied by a 

 thoroughly competent shorthand writer. I had the good fortune to 

 meet Mr. Foreman, President of the National Dairy Association at 

 Waitera, Taranaki. A dairyman of long standing, he was able to 



