1.—12 a.

C. E. MAJOR.]

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21. Hon. Mr. McNab.] As representing a very large number of dairymen in New Zealand, Mr. Major, do you think this plan which I described to the deputation which waited on me on the Bth February last as the one the Department would follow—l ask you if you think it is not an equitable one: "The regulations when issued would be applied for one season, after which they would be officially reviewed. He promised, before extreme action was taken under the new regulations he would look into the circumstances himself." Do you not think that with that safeguard the interests of dairymen would be conserved ?—That is a wise course to pursue, and it meets the objection raised by Mr. Lang. It would govern " extreme action being taken." 22. Mr. Okey.~\ Following on Mr. McNab's statement, would it not be wise to have plans at the different centres showing what would apply under different conditions?—Farmers reading regulations soon know what is required. It would not be a difficult matter putting diagrams on the regulations themselves. 23. Would it not be interesting to the farmer?— Yes. Mr. Lang: The position I take up, if these regulations are adopted, is that every dairyman is liable to carry out regulations to the very letter. I do not mean to cast any doubt on the Minister's promise. When the regulations are carried it will not always rest with the Minister. Hon. Mr. McNab: There is no other way to give them a trial.

Monday, 28th September, 1908. Mr. Witty asked leave, and it was granted, to have the following information included in the evidence. He said: When Mr. J. G. Harkness, secretary of the National Dairy Association, was giving evidence he gave the number of milk-suppliers in the North Island and Otago. Referring to the milk-suppliers of Canterbury, he said they were too small in number to be worth bothering about. I have asked the Department to give me the list of suppliers to Canterbury dairy factories. The reply is as follows : " With reference to your request for the number of suppliers to Canterbury dairy factories, I have to state the number is 1,591." Isaac Gray, Farmer, Papatoitoi, Auckland, examined. (No. 21.) Witness: I am delegated by the Auckland Wholesale Milk-suppliers' Association to come as their representative to lodge a few objections to what we consider the more objectionable features of the regulations. I may say the association of which I am a member is composed entirely of men who supply the City of Auckland with milk. lam going to say this at the outset: We are of the opinion that the public who consume the milk require it to be in a sanitary state. Milk is an indispensable article of diet. The first thing we object to is the registration fee. I find, from being ss. it has been doubled. It is not a very large matter, but I think if you take all those who supply milk to the different cities it would run into a very large item. Then there is nothing particularly striking till we come to regulation 2, paragraph (/), Manure shall be removed to a position 30 ft. from the cowshed within two hours. Under the old regulations it is not quite clear whether the time specified is four hours or immediately after milking. It is a little conflicting. It is a moot point whether four hours is not allowed. Two hours is a little short. The method generally adopted (whether for city-supply or factory) is that the boy who drives the milk-cart to the station or the factory then goes on with the cleaning-up of the shed and putting in the hay. In nineteen times out of twenty it is cleaned within the specified time of two hours, but there may be other times when it would be exceeded. The members of my association think it is not practicable to have it cleaned out within the two hours. Paragraph (g) says that the milk house or stand shall not be within 30 ft. or, on the leeward side, 60 ft. of the cowshed. I think you will admit that 60 ft. is rather far to expect a man to carry his milk. I may say my cooling-house was erected under the old regulations, and it is 30 ft. away. Clause (h) says that the cowshed shall not be within 30 ft. of a stable. This is going to cause a good deal of expense in some parts of the district around Auckland. A good many of the stables are sort of lean-tos, or the cowsheds are lean-tos on the stable. Clause (g) says that a cowshed shall not be within 30 ft. of a dwellinghouse. Only the other day I was spoken to by a tenant who had only three years of his lease to run. He lodged a very strong objection to me in regard to this and other regulations. He said, " The position I am in is that if this regulation in regard to the shed having to be 30 ft. from the dwellinghouse is enforced I will probably have to give up dairying. My landlord will not do anything, and I cannot afford to do it." "Paragraph 1 of (k) says there must be a yard sufficiently large to hold all the cows brought in at one time, attached but divided by a fence, the floor of which must be concreted or paved. There must be a great diversity of opinion in regard to concrete. Situated as we are around Auckland, the country being of a hilly nature, there is very good drainage, and we have any amount of gravel. We can easily make a macadamised road. All the objections I have lodged with regard to the removal of buildings, the concreting of stockyards, and other expenses should be passed on at the expiration of the lease of the owner of the property. It is a permanent improvement and adds to the value of the property, and no tenant should be placed in the position of spending a considerable sum of money on what is not his own property. Then comes regulation 31. We are working a good deal under many of these regulations at present, so far as suppliers to the city are concerned. The milk-cart may not be used for carting dead animals or other offensive matter. It seems to me under this regulation that you cannot take a calf to market (even wrapped up in a sack) or a dead pig down to the train without having an extra cart. It seems to me quite unnecessary. Around Auckland all our calves are taken into the market, and, of course, the milk-carts are all used for this purpose. The cans are thoroughly washed and cleansed on their return from market. The calves are not more than a