BUTTER AND MARGARINE.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14839, 3 December 1913, Page 7

BUTTER AND MARGARINE.

CONFERENCE IN LONDON.

NEW LEGISLATION "WANTED.

(rsoit ova. owx coiuissroxsKXY). LONDON, October 24. An important conference of representatives of the principal agriculUiral organisations of the United Kingdom and the oversea Dominions was held in London this week to consider the growth of the trade in margarine in relation to the butter industry. The proceedings were private, but it is understood that the conference was unanimously of opinion that legislation was necessary to prevent the sale of margarine under conditions calculated to mislead the public into the belief that it is a kind of butter. Resolutions upon which it is proposed to found legislation having this object in view were agreed to, and authority was for submitting them to the Government in due coui"se by a deputation from the conference. It was, however, decided that the terms of the resolutions should not be disclosed until they had been laid before the Minister of Agriculture.

The delegates present numbered between thirty and forty, and the High Commissioner for New Zealand was unanimously voted to the chair.

Experts in the butter trade say that tho first-class grades of English, Danish, and New Zealand have nothing to fear from the competition of margarine as a butter substitute.- One authority said: —"Danish and New Zealand butters are uniformly of such hish grade that they have a market of their own altogether above and beyond anything that tho margarine manufacturers can supply, and the samo thing is true of the best qualities of Enslish and Australian butter. It is the cheaper grades of English and Australian butter that suffer in the competition of margarine. The section of the public—and it is by far the biggest section —which used to buy the cheaper grades of butter has found out that first-class margarine is more palatablo and much cheaper than second or third-class butter, and equally wholesome, if not more so. And they are buying margarine in increasing quantities overy year, as is shown by oui steaciily-growing imports. Three years ago margarine was coming into this country from abroad at the rate of 4000 tons a month: last year it averaged 5000 tons a month, and this year it is 6000 tons. I do not know What the homo manufacture amounts to, but I believe it is-progressing at an oven greater rate than tho imports, and it seems to be pretty certain that the English, Irish, or Scottish butterproducer who seeks to market anything but the highest-class butter will find his product ousted by the better qualities of margarine. Another provision dealer stated: — "The view is generally held that margarine is the enemy of all butter. That is not quite tho position. It docs not compete at all with choice quality butter. Only secondary and inferior qualities find in it a direct competitor. Danish, Swedish, New Zealand, tho very choicest Australian, and other high-quality butters do not feel the direct conryetition of margarine any more than" Scotch beef feels the effect of tho imports of Argentine frozs.n beef. The competition is indirect; rather than direct. The most natural and direct way for Australia to overcome the competition of margarine is to improve the general quality, , so ' that, like New Zealand, it may remain abovo the margarine line of attack." At tho meeting, which took place at the Hotel Metropole, Mr Mackenzie stated that the subject to be dealt w:th was ono requiring most delicate and capable treatment, otherwise insteii -j!" advancing tho object thgy were mc , , to discuss the reverse would be the case. He invited ftill discussion, but asked those present to remember tnat iht-.re was no use in passing resolutiois of sn impracticable nature; their •Iccb' >n:> must be such as would commend ih«insolvcs to the judgment of the Presidents of the Board of Trade and Agriculture, and also thoy must secure the snpport of the public.