5

I.—6a

evidently do not like to have people going round inspecting, as it were, or interfering with them without their request or consent. 6. The Chairman.] I think we understand you to say in your general statement that the factory system is certainly one that ought to be carried but in New Zealand as far as dairy-produce is concerned?— Yes. 7. You indicate that the poor price obtained in the English market is not owing so much to the inferiority of the manufacture here as to the difficulties in the transit ? —There may be something in the system of making butter by separating the cream that we out here do not yet understand. I am not very clear on that point. There is a weakness in our manufacturing it on this separator principle that we have not discovered. 8. Major Stetvard.] And may not the possible deterioration arise from causes outside the mere temperature ? —Yes, of course. We are informed that the New South Wales butter gets Home all right, and that is one thing I cannot explain : why butter made in a climate such as New South Wales, and on the same principle, should arrive and sell higher in London than butter made in New Zealand. I have been in communication with some friends of mine over there who are very deeply interested in butter-making, and I cannot discover that there is any difference in their system of manufacture. They use the same separator and the same butter-workers, and they otherwise treat it the same as we do. Theirs goes Home all right, and ours does not. I believe that one thing they do is that immediately the butter is made they put it either into a cool-chamber or a freezing-chamber. From there it goes direct into the freezing-chambers of the steamers. 9. Do you know anything with regard to the export of butter to tropical countries—to India, for example?—No, I have not had experience. 10. Do you know that butter is sent from Denmark to Calcutta and elsewhere made up in tins ? —Yes. 11. And, I believe, commands a price very much higher than butter usually commands in the London market ? —Yes. 12. Double the price ? —Yes. 13. Then, if that is so, would it not be possible to send New Zealand butter to that market ? —I think it is quite possible. 14. Therefore commanding a very much higher price than you now get ?—Yes ; in fact, we have had it under consideration whether we should not make some experiment in that direction from our Edendale Factory. 15. It also might be possible, if freight could be obtained, to send butter made up in that way to Queensland and some of the colonies which cannot make butter?— Yes, that is so. 16. Then, is it not likely that if Denmark has for some time-been exporting butter to tropical countries the services of a Danish expert would be valuable in that direction, as giving us an idea as to how to open up a new market entirely?— That is quite possible. He would require to understand not only the manufacture of butter, but the mode of packing it. 17. Mr. Mackenzie.] Have you seen the new boxes of Mr. Begg's? —I have not. 18. He claims by his system of packing to be able to send the butter Home without using much salt ?—Yes. I have promised to try some of his boxes as soon as they are made. 19. Have you tried Pond's boxes ?■—We have made a shipment of butter in Pond's boxes, but I have not yet heard the result. We have also tried Findlay's boxes. 20. You think the freezing-chamber is just as good as the cool-chamber ? —Yes, I believe it is preferable. 21. And that is also the opinion of the Home brokers ? —Yes. With reference to cheese, we have been shipping some of our graded cheese as ordinary cargo, and we find very little difference in the result at Home. So far as my experience goes now, it is to the effect that we have profited to the extent of about 4s. 6d. a hundredweight on account of the difference in the cost between sending it in the cool-chamber and as ordinary cargo. 22. And that difference would be quite sufficient margin to provide for a factory ? —Oh, yes ; we do not get quite such a good price, but we save so much in the freight as to make a difference of 4s. 6d. a hundredweight. Graded cheese carries better than full milk-cheese as ordinary cargo. 23. With respect to the conveyance of dairy-produce by the railways, do you not think the Eailway Commissioners should consider the advisability of erecting cool-stores at different parts of the lines of railway in which to store the butter, instead of, as in Wellington for instance, putting it in sheds with iron roofs ? Do you not think it should be a recommendation to the Commissioners to have such stores erected at the various termini ?—I do not think they would entertain the question of putting up stores of that description at roadside stations. They might put up a special one at the ports—at the terminal stations. A brick store, properly ventilated, with a slate roof, or something of that kind, would be necessary, with the ceiling constructed in such a way as to make it as cool as possible. 24. Have you ever met Captain Andrews, who was employed by the Indian Government to consider the question of cooling-carriages?— No. 25. Do you know of any system that might be of use in smaller places than Edendale—a system whereby the farmers might get their milk into smaller factories?— Small factories ought to be encouraged in such places as I saw in Taranaki, and might be made successful. I believe that the factory of Chew Chong is doing very well. I visited that factory, and had an afternoon's chat with that gentleman: he is very well satisfied with the result of his operations so far. It is really the best conducted-factory I saw on a small scale. He has a remarkably good situation as a site for his factory, alongside of a big river. It is well sheltered, and it seems to be well and properly worked. It seems to me that dairying is about the first purpose that bush-land of that description can be put to, as the ground, after the timber is felled and the grass sown, is so rough and covered with logs that sheep cannot be kept, and it is not very suitable for fattening. It does not suit small farmers to fatten cattle. By-and-by, as the timber rots, it will become available