366 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1918. 



duties are clearly within the scope of the State Department of Agri- 

 <;ulture. 



At the suggestion of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture 

 last week, the Premiers' Conference now sitting decided that similar 

 legislation should be introduced in each State in order to meet the 

 circumstances arising out of the recent Commonwealth action. In New 

 South "Wales and Queensland legislation relating to the dairying in- 

 dustry provides for the necessary organization and staff for the giving 

 of instruction arising out of the grading. In Victoria all the staff 

 was taken over; hence a blank was created which it is intended to fill 

 at the earliest possible moment. 



Discussion by Members. 



In the discussion which followed, a member, referring to the failure 

 of the Commonwealth authorities to supply the State with certificates, 

 said that two months ago his factory had written stating that they 

 were agreeable to the Commonwealth handing over these documents, 

 seeing that they were necessary for the purposes of instructional work, 

 and in their absence the State would be hampered. 



Another member stated that the majority of the factories had ex- 

 pressed a wish that these certificates be given to the State authorities, 

 and asked what action was contemplated in the matter. New South 

 "Wales and Queensland, he said, seemed to be moving in the direction 

 of giving instruction. 



Mr. Ckowe. — The States affected now propose taking steps to pass 

 a Bill providing for the carrying out of instructional work generally, 

 and particularly instructional work arising out of the grade certificates. 

 That did not insure the handing over of grade certificates by the Com- 

 monwealth to the State. As far as could be gathered, no approval was 

 asked by the Commonwealth authorities in New South Wales to hand 

 these certificates over. 



A Delegate. — Has the State Department no knowledge of how 

 things are going with the Commonwealth Department regarding tbe 

 grades ? 



Mr. Crowe. — No knowledge whatever. I consider a request by the 

 Conference to hand over copies of the grade certificates would have 

 some effect. 



A Delegate. — -Yes; if followed up by a deputation to the Minister, 

 otherwise the matter might be shelved. 



The Secretary. — Since the Federal control, the issue of weights of 

 butter had been discontinued. If factories supplied the correct weight 

 they were all right, but in the event of the weight being in excess, they 

 got no enlightenment. 



A Delegate. — The Conference should make a move in some way 

 if it is likely to bear fruit. It has been a general thing for application 

 to be made to the Federal expert to give the required returns to the 

 State Deparljment, but apparently all of the individual requests have 

 been shelved. In his own case application had been made to have the 

 information given to the State. 



Mr. P. J. Carroll. — "Without taking any responsibility as a Federal 

 servant, I might state that the whole of the factories have not replied 

 to the Federal circular — not more than 50 per cent, having done so — 

 on the subject. Eegarding the secretary's remarks re weights, as far 



