10 June. 1918.] Beviexv of the Butter Export Season. 367 



as I am aware, the practice has not been altered, and the same informa- 

 tion has been conveyed to the factories as hitherto. 



The Secretary. — In my company's case, there is no indication as to 

 whether the weights are right or wrong. In the past this was shown. 



Mr. P. J. Carroll. — If that be so, it was unintentionah 



A Delegate. — Can Mr, Crowe give the amount of butter of various 

 grades until the Commonwealth took the matter over? 



Mr. Crowe. — N'o. When the Commonwealth Government took the 

 business over all books and papers in connexion with the subject were 

 handed to them. ■ 



A Delegate. — It lies with the factories themselves in not replying 

 to the Federal circular on the subject of permission to hand over the 

 certificates, seeing that only 50 per cent, have not furnished a reply. 

 Under the circumstances, the Federal people might refer the matter 

 back, with an intimation that they were awaiting replies to their 

 circular from the other 50 per cent. We consider the State has been 

 just in its action, which has been an education to us, and we consider 

 that the rights of the State in the matter have been unduly interfered 

 with. 



The Chairman. — I understand that in Mr. Crowe's opinion, power 

 exists without referring it back to the factories at all. 



A Delegate. — In New South Wales they a^e doing it without con- 

 sulting the factories. 



Motion of Protest. 

 On the motion of Messrs. Martin (Apollo Bay) and Adamson 

 (Moe), it was decided to protest to the Commonwealth authorities re- 

 garding the State Dairy Departments not being furnished with copies 

 of the grade certificates. 



Winter Dairying and Price Fixing. 



A Delegate. — Eegarding Mr. Crowe's statement as to the increased 

 cost of manufacture of butter in winter as against summer production, 

 I sent figures to the Food Prices Board. In connexion with Mr. Crowe's 

 investigations some three or four years ago in the Camperdown dis- 

 trict, many thought his conclusions were scarcely correct, but upon 

 going into them, I found that was not so. I discovered that the 

 average farmer, renting land and taking his family and all in, was 

 undoubtedly the lowest-paid wage-earner in the State. Although during 

 the past year or two the prices have been a little better, there must 

 of necessity be a change in the matter of production, otherwise more 

 dairymen will go out of the industry. This is the tendency in my dis- 

 trict, and, I believe, also applies elsewhere. 



A Delegate. — -I can bear out Mr. Crowe's statement as to the fall- 

 ing off in butter production in the winter. In my district at one time 

 several sujDpliers tried to extend dairying during winter, but owing to- 

 the disappointing returns covering the last two or three seasons, in 

 several instances I have been informed they intend going out of dairy- 

 ing in the winter and confining their operations to the spring and 

 summer time, when the production is better and the cost less to them. 

 Unless soBcnething be done to encourage winter production, the shortage 

 will become greater as the years go on. 



