48

[D. T. ROY

1.—12 a.

40. A large number of milk-suppliers have only the one cart. It has been the practice to take young calves to the sale in the same cart as the milk. Would it not be a hardship to prevent them?— Yes, it might be a hardship. 41. Mr. Okey.] What is your experience as to disease in dairy herds in Dunedin at the present time?—l would not say what percentage. Tuberculosis is the main trouble, but it is not very extensive. 42. What is done in the way of compensation. What proportion do they allow for the beast? —You get half-value up to £6. 4-3. You find no difficulty in that way? —We have never had a beast condemned. Robert Thomas Souness, Inspector of Dairies, Eltham, examined. (No. 16.) Mr. Sovness said : I think the regulations are very necessary. I say this from a considerable experience of dairying, having been a dairy-factory manager for seventeen years, and having been brought up on a dairy-farm. The administration of the regulations must prove of great benefit to the industry, as their natural result will be an improvement in the milk-supply. 1. Mr. Okey.] What is the usual thing with a farmer getting his groceries. Are they not delivered at the factory, say, a few miles from the town ?—Yes, the storekeepers usually send them to the factory. 2. Do you not think it would be a hardship if the farmer could not take these things home in his milk-cart?— Yes, but there is nothing to prevent him. 3. Do you think taking horns bonedust, if the cart was afterwards well washed, would do any harm? —Yes. It would be very hard getting the taint off the cart. 4. Do you think a name on a cart and tags on cans will be an assistance? —Yes, it would save a lot of trouble. 5. Do you think it would do any harm to take a dressed pig to the butcher in the same cart? —It would not if the cart was properly cleaned out afterwards. 6. The farmer would not clean it?—A number would not : that is my experience. 7. Do you think it would be an advantage to have tags on the cans? Would they not collect dust? — Not if the tag is soldered on properly. 8. Hon. Mr. McNab.] This regulation does not prohibit taking the groceries back?— No. 9. Your experience has been in Taranaki? —I was four years manager in other districts, but my principal experience has been in Taranaki. 10. One part of your duty as manager would be examining the milk as it comes into the factory, to see whether it was good or bad?— Yes, on the receiving stage. 11. How do managers generally like that part of their duty?— They do not like it at all. 12. They do not find it very agreeable work?— No. 13. You would not like to'condemn the chairman's milk?— You might do it once, but you would not care about doing it a second time. 14. Then, if men come here who are suppliers, and even chairmen, and say that the managers have unlimited power to condemn, and will not be interfered with, you suggest that that is not strictly the case? Do factory-managers feel confident that this is the case?— No. 15. From your knowledge on the receiving stage of the factory and your experience in condemning milk, which do you think the more effective, leaving it to the manager to condemn or having the question of clean milk under the control of the State?— Under the control of the State entirely. My experience in Taranaki has been that the manager has very little power. The chairman will say to him: "Run along as smoothly as possible; if you reject a man's milk it only goes to the next company." That is my experience. I could not improve the milk-supply, or we would very soon be without suppliers. 16. And you know of your knowledge that men would leave one factory and go to another if their milk was rejected? —Yes. I have known it to take place on several occasions. 17. Was yoTir own experience in cheese or butter?— Both. 18. What portion of suppliers would you say sent milk perfectly satisfactory?— About 60 per cent. 19. About 40 per cent, of it is then of a lower grade? —Yes. 20. Have you ever formed any idea as to what extent that 40 per cent, reduces the value of the whole 100 per cent.? —2s. or 3s. a hundredweight in butter. 21. The Chairman.] Has it the same effect on cheese?—lt has more effect on cheese. You want better quality milk for manufacturing cheese than for manufacturing butter. 22. And the loss is all the greater where you have cheese? —Yes. 23. Mr. Jlngg.] Do the managers often come in conflict with the suppliers?— Yes, very often. 24. What is usually the cause?— Asking the supplier to improve his milk-supply. 25. I suppose suppliers are not always satisfied with the result of the tests?— That is so. 26. Is that a frequent cause of trouble? —Sometimes it is. 27. Ts the milk-supply liable to be adulterated in any way? —Yes. 28. No advantage by adding water to it?— The only advantage is in a butter-factory, where a man might do it to get a little more skim-milk. 29. Mr. Lang.] You said you are a Dairy Inspector : would you allow a wooden floor to be put down ?—Yes, certainly—that is, if it was not convenient to get gravel for concrete. 30. You are aware that in many parts of the Dominion that dairymen have been ordered tc ■take up wooden floors?—ln my district I have never ordered a good wooden floor to be taken up. 31. And you would allow a wooden floor?— Where it was not possible to get concrete. 32. Would you allow a dairyman to take dressed pig, a live calf, or fowls in his milk-cart? -—A dressed pis* in canvas covering would not harm. 33. A live calf, too?— Yes.