AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XIV, Issue 2819, 10 November 1892, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION

"THE DAIRY INDUSTRY ACT 1892."

The present Ministry may certainly claim credit for having in their scheme of legislation taken more heed of the requirements of agriculturists than any Ministry which has preceded them. In years past, while laws many have beeri devised for the furthering of the interests of the commercial and manufacturing classes, it has been the rarest thing possible to see or hear of any measure dealing with agricultural matters or matters relating to or connected with that greatest o£ all industries—the farming industry. True, not all the Bills introduced last session have passed into law ; but that is not the fault of the Government, who submitted a group of six important measures, dealing with Live (Stock, Land Drainage, the Codlin Moth Pest, the eradication of Noxious Weeds, the Dairy Industry and the protection of farmers against imposition in the matter of Artificial Manures. The four measures first-named stand over until next session, and are now being circulated through various Agricultural Societies and Farmers' Oluba with,, the view to the attainment of such information as will enable their being made as perfect as possible \ but the two last named have been placed upon the Statute book, and we purpose to summarise their provisions for the benefit of our readers, dealing on the present | occasion with the first of the two— the Dairy Industry Act, The interpretation clause defines the terms used in the Act to distinguish the different products of the dairy, but nearly all of these are self-explanatory, and it need only be mentioned that by " blended butter "is meant butter collected from one or more dairies or factories for the purpose of being mixed or blended and packed for export, and that " full-cream cheese" means cheese containing not less than three per cetit of butter fat, " quarter-skim-milk cheese " means cheese containing not less than 2| per cent, "half-skim-milk cheese " means cheese containing not less than \\ pep oent, and " pure skim-milk cheese" means cheese containing less than \\ per cent of the same ingredient, A "factory" or "creamery" is defined to mean "a place established for receiving the milk or cream of cows from the public for the purpose of manufacturing it into butter or cheese, or both," and ?f dairy" a place where butter or cheese is 'manufactured—not being a v factory " within the terms of the above definition, The enacting clauses provide first'for the inspection of all dairies and factories, power being given to the Governor to appoint all Inspectors and other officers necessary to the due administration of the Act and to prescribe by Order-in-Council all necessary regulations. To the Inspectors and officers so appointed are given full powers of entry upon ail premises which come under the operation of the Act, and also authority to open any package containing butter or cheese for the purpose of inspection, with power to take samples for analysis oi any such butter or cheese, or of milk offered for sale or supplied to any dairy or factory. Any person obstructing or delaying an Inspector in the exorcise of his duty is liable to a penalty of five founds. No person may sell or supply to any dairy or factory any milk taken from a cow known to be suffering from disease, under a penalty of not less than £2 nor more than £10 for each offence; and the person on whose behalf any such milk is sold or supplied is prima face liable for the penalty mentioned. These ars all useful provisions and safeguards; but the most important part of the measure is that relating to the proper branding of New Zealand and cheese for export. Section 5 provides that it should be compulsory for the owner of every dairy, factory, or creamery manufacturing cheese or butter, or both, for export, to have a registered trademark which is to be placed on every package and upon all butter and 1 cheese exported ; the right being given by section 6, to any owner of a dairy manufacturing not less than 7501bs weight of milk a day, to obtain a certificate authorising him to mark the produce of such dairy with the word ". Factory " or " Creamery," as bhe case maybe. Section 7 we give in gxtenso. It runs:— Every person who shall manufacture and export,' and every person exporting, a keg, box, or package, or any greater quantity of cheese or butter, including blended butter, separator butter or butter in pats or prints, shall distinctly and durably stamp or mark on each cheese, and upon each pat or print of butter, and also upon each keg, box or package containing cheese or butter, the following particulars, that is to say ;—- ---(1) The registered trade-mark of such person; and (2) The words New Zealand dairy, or New Zealand factory, or New Zealand creamery as the ease may be; provided that on each pat qv print of butter thu letters N r Z. may be used instead of the wards' New Zealand, and also, (3) Upon each keg, bqx, or package the true and exact nature and description as defined in sub-section {a) of section two of j this Act, of the cheese or butter contained therein. Every person who exports, or causes, procures, or offers to export any of the articles required by this section tq be stamped or marked with the above-mentioned parti: culars, whph are not so starpppd or marked, or on which any of the aforesaid particulars are to his knowledge false, is liable for every such offence tq a penalty not exceeding one hundred pqunds and not less than five pounds, Regulations similar to these, but more stringent in their character, have long been in force in Denmark, and it is largely owing to that fact that D.apish butter has been able to attain so high a rppujsatjon in the London market ; and if the Act above referred, to i' 6 properly carried out, the rapidly growing export trade of New Zealand in da|py produce will be put on an assured' footing, and N«jw $ealan(j brands of butter and cheese will rapidly establish themselves in favor, with the certain result of commanding the highest range of prices.