AUSTRALIA AND THE FOOD PROBLEM 125 



The government grades the butter in its cold-storage 

 warehouses at Melbourne and packs and ships it. 

 At fii'st the cold storage was free to the dairymen, 

 but later a charge was made. In Victoria most of 

 the butter exported is stored by the government in 

 its refrigerator-plants. Inferior butter is marked 

 "pastry brand."' In the same way the poultry 

 export in Victoria has been aided, size and weight 

 of shipments being regulated by the government. 

 The government cattle inspectors kill diseased cattle 

 without compensation to the owner. The govern- 

 ment began experimenting with the export of fro- 

 zen rabbitS; which were received at its cold-storage 

 chambers and sorted, and thus turned what had 

 been a pest which threatened the pastures in Vic- 

 toria into a source of profit. 



In New Zealand all the butter exported is graded 

 and stored in government refrigerator-plants. At 

 first a bonus was granted to dairymen producing a 

 certain amount for export, but after the trade was 

 well established the bonus was dropped. The 

 function of grading has been carried on by the 

 state since 1896. In fact, it was New Zealand that 

 originated the system of grading for export. It 

 also grades for domestic use. At first the innova- 

 tion caused loud complaint as an interference with 

 personal liberty, but it was soon rightly understood. 



1 State Experiments in Australia and New Zealand, Wm. P. Reeves, 

 vol. I, pp. 379, 383. 



