THE MARGARINE MENACE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1487, 9 July 1912, Page 8

THE MARGARINE MENACE.

'DISPLACING BUTTER IN ENGLAND. TRADE REACHING ALARMING PROI'OimONS.. For some years now the co-operative leaders in New South Wales amd Victoria lmvo been watching tho ever-increasing margarine trade in England, as a supplanter of their butter, and endeavouring to influence some action that would prohibit substitutes being put up as a colourable imitation of butter. Their efforts, however, have boon of no avail. We all know, says the Sydney "Telegraph," to what a degree of perfection the manufacture of margarine attained in this State a couple, of years ago, and how it was actually impossible for the average consumer to distinguish it from the genuine article. If that illegitimate trade had not been checked oy. timely legislation, it is certain that it would have 'made big strides of late, to the detriment of tho butter producer. As it .is, it, very largely takes the place of 'second and third grade butter for pastry purposes. But in England it has been perfected in colour, flavour, and texture as an imitation of butter, nnd, with no legal restriction on it as we have, it is not a-matter for any wonder that its comparative cheapness wins it an enormous consumption in place of butter. With a shortage of butter on the London market, as lias been the case throughout the past season, the effect of the competition has not been felt, but while this trade cannot undermine the stability of our butter industry, dairymen cannot shut their eyes to the fact that the- margarine manufacturer is the keenest competitor they have now to face. There can be no doubt that the bulk of the margarine in England eoes into consumption as butter, and while that is so, an inescapabla injustice is being done to the dairyman.

Some First-hand Information. At the conference of Victorian factory managers in Melbourne recently, Mr. A. J. Wyatt, who has represented the Gippsland Bnttor Co-opsrntive Company in London for several years, gave a good deal of lirst-hand information on this occasion. The use of margarine, he said, had reached alarming proportions. The extraordinary prices ruling for butter for tho last, roar or two, which reached the climax this year, had so accentuated the trade in margarine that the proportions' had grown so enormously that figures would hardly convey an adequate idea. The imports of margarine during February were 59,000cwt. above those for tho same period last year, and that average increase had ruled almost every month for the last 12 nionths. Even this only conveys a vague idea of the amount consumed, as the imports are small compared with the quantity manufactured in England. It is evident, too, that there is a lessening, disposition to hide from the public that they are buying a substitute. Even the best class of shops, Mr. AVyatt says, had this year been advertising nothing but margarine. This is significant, as- hitherto the better class of" trade had left margarine alone to a grc.it ■ extent, but this year their customers wanted something they could get cheaper than butter; -and even tho highest class of trade in London was not only α-drertisinjr it, but was circularising customers, saying they had something quite equal ;tp the best butter. The peoplo who were doing that, according to' Mr..-Wjiatt; handled the finest butter in Hio world, but evidently their customers could not pay the price. There was an almost ■ total absence of ■ butter from the shop windows. Margarine, however, was to be seen in every window, with placards bearing such statements as Why buy butter when we can give you something as good, at half the price?" Science and the Margarine Manufacturer. One of the most ominous and instructive phases of the development of the trade is the manner in which science has been brought to the aid of the margarine manufacturer, in the production of a wholesome, attractive, and palatable- . article, against which no real or sentimental objection can be urged. The wonderful'improvement in quality will bs the biggest factor in perpetuating the business, even in years when butter is.more plentiful and cheaper. In the past margarine was chiefly inado from vegetable oils, and it deteriorated very quickly, so that stocks could not )» kept more than three or four days. Now this.is. obviated by the use of nut oils. There were people in London, Mr. Wyatt told the factory managers, doing nothing clso but manufacturing bacteria having the proper qualities for margarine. These cultures absolutely produced the butter flavour. Margarine was no-.y advertised as' having New Zealand character, Australian character, and Danish character. The manufacturers would' provide margarine that would take the' place of- Now, Zealand butter at 80s. per cwt., of Danish at 845., and of Australian at 80s. They have progressed so far in thoscience that they now say to their customers, "This is Australian, this is New Zealand, this is Danish." Legislative Protection Impossible to Get. It is plain that there is much in this trade that is intended to deceive the consumer, and although the latter may suffer no actual injury, it is illegitimate to that extent and detrimental to the producing section of the people. The reply of the English authorities to representations for legal enactments to -regulate the trade haa been that they would not interfere with the liberty of the people, which means that the manufacturers of butter substitutes may proceed ns they like, without any effort to protect the public from thorn. The people of Ireland have been agitating for the last dozen years for legislation on this question, and a private Bill lias been prepared, but it has been impossible to get it even read a first time in the House of'Cunmions. The representatives of tho Australasian trade have endeavoured through the Commonwealth authorities to move in the matter, but they have l>een up against a brick wall, and absolutely nothing has been done. They urged the introduction of a bill on similar lines.to tho New South AYnks Act, which renders it illegal to colour margarine to , represent butter. The British Government has refused to even consider such a suggestion. In the Australasian interest, however, the agitation •should bo sustained in an endeavour to change that attitude. The greater 'the hold tho tratlo gets on the public the more it must inevitably cut into tho consumption of butter, even though Mr. Wyatt considers Australasian producers have not much to fear so long as they can sell their butter at'li. P?r lb. or less wholesale in London. But why bo content with Is. per lb, if more can ba obtained by tho removal of the competition of a deceptive, substitute?