BUTTER MOISTURE AGAIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 833, 3 June 1910, Page 8

BUTTER MOISTURE AGAIN.

• PLAIN TALK BY THE MINISTER. Speakiug at the Otago Winter Show the Minister for Agriculture (the Hon. T. Mackenzie), said the year had not; been without anxiety so far as dairy producc was concerned. "At one period," said the Minister, "the values of our butter fell I considerably owing to the quality not be- 1 ln|j sustained, and legal proceedings at my instigation had to bo taken against Borne who were exporting butter containing an excess of moisture. These actions brought at the time a considerable amount of adverse criticism against the Department, but the course taken was inevitable in the interests of the Dominion, Inasmuch as attention had been called iu-the British Parliament to this I'XCfeSd of moisture; and one serious result, which may take a good many years to, overcome, was the adoption of the clause by the Home Buyers' Association requiring' London arbitration over-riding what previously obtained—viz., sales on New Zealand grade certificates. The, dishonesty tliat was practiced when I was Home by buyers of New Zealand meat under a similar clause has perhaps caused me to feel a little unduly alarmed in case , a similar use may be made of this new clause' inserted in the purchase of • our dairy products/'