WATER-LOGGED BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 650, 29 October 1909, Page 5

WATER-LOGGED BUTTER.

.... ■.. . AN INTOLERABLE ANOMALY.

IMPROVED REGULATIONS -NEEDED. i'-'"-Buttor may bo graded as high as it is po» eiblo by Government graders, and purchnsod on- : the Government guarantee, yet the shipper at this end or tho holder at the other may ba prosecuted and fined for-having to do with that butter. ■ This sounds- anomalous—and -it is. v. So grave, indeed, is the anomaly that'tho butter trade of tho Dominion is being placed mm embarrassing position, - and buttor ■ merchants are called upon to take risks that they should never be forced intq taking. The' point concorns moisture in butter. The English Buttoj and Margarine Act of 1907 provides —

' If. any butter-which when prepared fat salo or consignment contains hiure than 16 . per cent, of water is in any butter factory, of if any margarino whictt when prepared :■■■-. for salo or consignment contains more than > ,1G per cent, of water iB in anj' margarine s >:.i factory, or if any such buttor or margarino is consigned from a butter factory, or margarine factory, ( the occupier of the factory or consignor; as the case may be, s'taU (whether, the excess of moisture is due to adulteration or not) be guilty of an oifenca ' under this Act, unless the occupier or cod- ; ■ signor proves to the satisfaction -of tLo Court that the butter or margarine was not made, blended, re-worked, or treated in. the factory." Tho same Act makes it an offenoa to import butter containing more than IS per cent, of butter. At this end the Government make it illegal to ship butter containing, more: than 16 per :'■■■: cent! of. moisture, but in reality the cx porta* Hon. of such butter cannot be prevonfcod,. has been 1 found .that no penalty is'.provided: V for. the offence'when proved. This'was: shown:' in the cases recently before the Court in 1 Auck« land., .. ' . . ■ .<■ As far as the shipper is concerned, tho poo* tion. is one of extreme awkwardness. A merchant buys his bntter from ■ the .'factory on this Government grader's certificate; which soti out in points the flavour,: colour, body, eta, of the line. If . these are satisfactory porhapa a sale takes place, but tho merchant never sees or handles the butter himself, . Tho Genu eminent certificate is .his bond of faith oon- • oerning the article he buys. It should be * > good bond;, but h itp,., /. , ' The answer (as the law now stands) is "Nol", The butter may be nvell over the M points (the maximum is. 100),. and yet'its sale might be stopped in London, or it might be;, held, up - at the ship's side, because it oontains an, excess of; moisture (overil6 per cent.). .The ny rtriction looms large,in<butter, legislation,: yet : is entirely non-existent as far as the faotory or, grader is concerned.' The law: does not maka' the presence, of over /much, water in tho-but. tor a matter o£ moment to them, yet, as soon . as it gets into the hands "it i*' ■ liable, to be re-examined," and if found to, b»

"loaded" : he can .bo prosecuted and- fined (a» was the caw' with Mr. Cruickshanks,. represent, ing Messrs. Crollett anU Co., :at New. Plyi mouth, a little ; while ago).' . There been a good. dcal of trouble at Home with New Zealand butter,: thougli little has been made publio. .At, a .deputation of butter merchants, which waited on the Hon.: Thos. Mackenzie concerning the matter a few. days ago, Mr. P; Nathan quoted a case where portion of -a shipment.- of New Zealand butter iad been :rewD,rked;,(to abstract, tho water) or; otherwise-diverted so, as to: keep on the windv ward side of the ,law. -V.

'•. The merchants, who, as matters: now stand,:: ' take risks'which they should never bo asked ;, to take, are of opinion that legislation should be brought down this session factories working in water over and above the allowed • percentage, and that Government graders, in " aoing their duty,' should test for' a surplus of water at the time ..when they, are leaking their ordinary test, ■ the• result of eucli-.tost to bo Bet, , forth on 1 the certificate. -V'.

One point that:should -be brought under- this notice, of factory proprietors, who-are apt-.to-dash the water about with a ■ lavish hand •}» the which 'they, run of having their output, labelled "risky" by butter. buyers. / A buyer onlv needs to-.havo one experiehoe of the kind, and lie becomes 1 , "shy!'' of lhat factory; however.good the general'quality of its butter may be. . In tho interests, of the indnstrj; the situation should'bo.remedied. .• .