§ Mr. SHEEHANasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is aware that several managers of Irish creameries have refused to send butter to the Department's surprise competitions owing to the appointment by the Department of an incompetent creamery instructor, and the Vice-President's refusal to receive a deputation from the association on the question of future appointments to that position, and that in cases where the managers have so objected the Department have written to the presidents of the creameries with a view to compel managers to forward exhibits and whether, in view of the fact that such action is likely to further embitter the relations between the Department and the creamery managers and thereby militate against the successful working of the Department's schemes in connection with creameries, the Department will cease to resort to this practice?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLThe Department are aware that an Association of 193W Creamery Managers is endeavouring to induce creamery managers to boycott the Surprise butter competitions which are part of the Department's scheme for the improvement of creameries, with a view, apparently, of forcing the Department to select instructors solely from among its own members. I am not aware that letters of the kind referred to in the question have been written, but the attention of the chairmen of some creameries has been drawn to the fact that sending butter to surprise competitions is an essential condition of registration under the scheme, their participation in which is voluntary. In my judgment the chairmen and committees of such creameries, if they desire to make use of the schemes for the improvement of the industry, would be ill-advised in countenancing this boycott on the part of their employés. There is no ground for the statement in the question that an incompetent instructor has been appointed by the Department.