1.—12 a.

24

[j. A. CHEETHAM.

32. You think that if you were prepared to pay the damage and satisfy the Court that you had done everything the Health Department or the Stock Department required, you should not be stopped by an injunction?— Quite so. 33. The Chairman.] Have you made any inquiry from chemists as to whether or not the fat in the washings, which creates the nuisance, could be neutralized and rendered innocuous in that way? —We have not made any inquiries as to that. James Prouse, Chairman of the Levin Co-operative Dairy Society, examined. (No. 14.) 1. The Chairman.] Would you like to make a statement? —I desire just to say that I agree with what has been said, and to cite one particular instance. We have a creamery at Linton, and we had a farmer just below the creamery, and he told us that he was going to take action against vs —that he was going to have damages and an injunction. We did everything possible. When he thought the time was ripe he approached the County Council, and they sent us notice that if we continued to allow anything to go into the water they would have us fined. So the ratepayers waited upon the County Council and asked them what they meant. The company invited the Health Officer to come up and see. The Health Officer stated that this farmer particularly and other farmers were defiling the water very much more than the factory was, and that the water we put in was doing no harm whatever. What we want is that a community shall be protected against a man like that. 2. Mr. Nathan.] You are quite prepared, then, to be governed by regulations laid down by the Health Department or the Stock Department? —Certainly. The Department saved the situation that time for us. 3. You do not want to shirk your responsibilities?— No. 4. You are prepared to pay for any damage that you may create? —Yes. 5. Mr. Buick.] From what you say, you look at it that a cantankerous neighbour could use the present law to levy blackmail? —That is the point. Further, we ask that the Health Department and the Agricultural Department, when the settlers have invited them to inspect tho spot and pass the proposed buildings and the method of procedure, shall defend the industry, 6. The Chairman.] Supposing this complainant who threatened to apply for an injunction did so, and you had the evidence of the Health Officer that you had committed no nuisance, wh".t chance would he have of an injunction? —Well, we made this man good offers; but after tha* we heard no more about it. He could have helped himself to very good things but he got nothing. The Health Department saved the situation in that instance. 7. Did the evidence of the Health Department silence him? —It certainly did. 8. Mr. Buick.] Was that before or after the late lawsuit?—lt was before that we were threatened. 9. The Chairman.] How do you get rid of your washings?—A considerable amount of water is used for the ammonia-tank, and it is pure water. We run the water into the water-races running alongside the factory, and it is not polluted in any way. There is no pollution in the sense of polluting water in a factory. Whatever has any solids in it goes down to the pig-farm, and there is nothing lost. 10. Your washings are carried away by the stream? —The overflow water goes down, but it is only washings, and the silt is valuable for the ground, arid it can be cleared out of the drain that it goes down. The feeding-material, which would make a smell, goes down to the pig-farm. 11. But we have had evidence that the washings create a great smell? —That is the washings of the cans. 12. Of the floor? —No, because the floor will be cl^an. 13. You wash the floor once a day, do you not?— Yes, but you do not expect to have any milk running over your floor. In our case the fairly clean water runs down the water-race, and we have never had any complaint about it. The other water, which has heavy washings, goes down to the pig-farm. 14. Have yon read the Bill proposed by the Government?— Yes. 15. Supposing we introduced the Health Department, or some pastoral authority like that, to be the arbiter, do you think that would put you in a safe position?—l certainly think so. IK Mr. Sylfs.] I presume that a large quantity of water is used in connection with a butter-factory ?—Yes. 17. Especially in relation to the ammonia-tank? —Yes. 18. The little milk that spills on the floor would really only discolour the water when it leaves the factory?— Yes, scarcely that. Frederick Joseph Nathan, Manager Defiance Creameries and Factories, examined. (No. 15.) Witness: I have a telegram here which I should, like to put in : "Regret did not receive letter in time attend to-day. Feel strongly something should be done by Parliament relieve present intolerable position. Grave danger to dairy industry. —Law, Chairman Shannon Dairy Company." [Telegram put in.] I wish to make a statement regarding this matter before the Committee, because I suppose that we as a dairy company have possibly had ten times as much trouble as any co-operative concern in the district —largely because of the fact that we are a proprietary concern working, in many instances, in direct opposition to a farmers' co-operative butter or cheese factory in the same district; and we have aroused the enmity in some cases of certain people, and they have just made it as hot as it was possible to make it to prevent our carrying our drainage through their properties. I concur with what all the witnesses this morning have stated, that not for one minute do we want to shirk any of our responsibilities; that if we are creating any damage or nuisance we are prepared to pay for it; that we are prepared