928 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



first grade stamp in the dairy class might be confined to the best 

 dairy butter, other dairy butters being uubranded with the grade 

 stamp." He frankly confessed, however, "that the grading of factory 

 and milled butters was all right, and was a great help to the industry 

 and those engaged in the export trade like himself." 



The third objector, an importer from England, said that " he did 

 not believe in grading," but 1 afterwards learned that this man had 

 bought New Zealand butter at the beginning of the season and lost, 

 owing to the lower prices ruling in London. No doubt he would 

 have l)een glad to have had a chance of repudinting his contract, but 

 with the grading and branding of the butter such a thing was 

 impossible. 



Although a great number of dairymen, butter factory managers, 

 secretaries and directors were either much averse to the innovation at 

 first, or looked upon it with a great deal of misgiving and doubt, 

 now there is not one to be found who does not admit the pronounced 

 success of the grading system. The following are typical replies 

 given to my queries on the question of grading : — 



Dairymen state : — 



"We would be nowhere but for our grading system." "The 

 best thing that ever happened for our dairy industry." 



Managers usually answer : — 



" I know that if anyone else is higher I never rest till I get up 

 to him." "My word it keeps us up to the tick all right." 



Directors say : — 



"No difficulty in selling buttfr now with our grading system." 

 " The grading system is acknowledged by banks and 

 buyers in London, and advances are made, according to 

 grade, on bills of lading with grade certificates attached." 

 " The great advantage we find is in selling ; it prevents 

 disputes, and there is never any question as to quality or 

 standard, the Government graders' verdict and stamp 

 being final and binding." " If the grading system were 

 dropped to-morrow, the quality Avoidd drop also." 



Agents and buyers say : — 



"AVhy, we simply base all our bargains on it; we could not 

 do without grading now. It acts on ,the managers just 

 the same as giving marks to boys at school." 



Another told me he bought " thousands, aye tens of thousands 

 of boxes of butter on the Government grade; that some 

 days his purchases exceeded. 11,000 boxes, and that he 

 never looked at the butter himself." All he wanted to see 

 was the Government certificate to the effect that the butter 

 was of first grade quality and was stamped accordingly. 



Experts assert : — 



"They all like it now; it used not to be so; people were 

 frightened at first, but they quickly recognised the advan- 

 tages once it got started." 



