Feb. 4] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 381.

Purchase of Cheese by the Government.

WHEREAS for the maintenance of His Majesty’s Forces and for other purposes of the present war it is necessary that His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom should acquire the whole of the existing stocks of cheese now in New Zealand, and also all further supplies of cheese to be manufactured in New Zealand during the present season, saving only such supplies as may be required for local consumption: And whereas arrangements have been made whereby the Government of New Zealand will acquire on behalf of His Majesty’s said Government the supplies of cheese so required:

Now, therefore, it is hereby publicly notified as follows for the information of cheese-manufacturers and of all others concerned:—

1. The New Zealand Government (hereinafter referred to as “the Government”) is prepared to purchase from the manufacturers, for and on behalf of His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom, the whole of the stocks of factory or dairy cheese available for shipment now existing in New Zealand or hereafter manufactured in New Zealand before the 1st day of July, 1918, at the prices and on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth.

2. The price to be paid by the Government is in the case of first-grade full-cream factory cheese 10d. per pound, and in the case of second-grade factory cheese 9¾d. per pound, delivered free on board ocean steamer at a customary grading-port for direct carriage to the United Kingdom. The prices to be paid for dairy cheese are 8½d. per pound for first grade and 8d. per pound for second grade, delivered free on board ocean steamer as aforesaid.

3. The cheese shall before shipment be examined and graded in a Government grading-store in accordance with the usual course of trade, and may be rejected as not being of good merchantable quality and condition, or as not in conformity with the terms and conditions of the contract in other respects.

4. The cheese shall be shipped in good and merchantable condition at a customary grading port on board ocean steamer for direct carriage to the United Kingdom, and shall be consigned to His Majesty’s Government in the name of the Butter and Cheese Imports Committee, London, or in such other manner as the Controller of the Department of Imperial Government Supplies at Wellington may from time to time direct: Provided that in any case the Government may permit cheese to be shipped at a customary grading port for carriage to and transhipment at another customary grading port on through bills of lading.

5. The bills of lading, specifications, and grade-notes for all cheese so shipped shall be delivered by the shipper to the said Controller.

6. In respect of all loss or damage from fire or other cause whatsoever the cheese shall be at the risk of the seller until it has been shipped in manner aforesaid.

7. All cheese so shipped and consigned to His Majesty’s Government shall become the property of and be at the risk of His Majesty upon shipment as aforesaid, and shall be paid for as soon as the bills of lading, specifications, and grade-notes have been delivered to the said Controller; and a contract of sale and purchase on the terms and conditions herein set forth shall be deemed to be constituted by such shipment and consignment.

8. All cheese is to be properly packed by the seller with scale boards in new export crates of thoroughly seasoned, dressed, white-pine timber, properly secured; each crate to contain two cheeses of the usual export size, with dividing-boards not less than three-quarters of an inch thick between the cheeses, the crate-ends to be bound with wire or hoop iron, and the battens to be double-nailed to the dividing-boards.

9. The crates are to be branded in such manner as may be directed by the Director of the Dairy-produce Division of the Department of Agriculture.

10. Cheese is to be white or coloured as the said Director may from time to time direct, but in default of any such directions the cheese may be white or coloured as the manufacturer thinks fit.