ALLEGED BUTTER FAKING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 8

ALLEGED BUTTER FAKING.

ACTIVITY IN VANCOUVER. ; .'.According to'-adyice received from Vaneouvßr by-a local-ljuttcr merchant, what is Meged'to :Be"-'a. new way of sending up tlie"c'ost: of 'living by mixing water witli butter, has been quietly investigated by tile t Government, the result being that two Vancouver wholesale firms have beih:'"summoned to appear in the Police'.CoU'r.t'to. answer charges for breaking Sections-299 and 300 of the Inspec-.'tion'-'anU'SKlei Act. It is alleged that by the''"m.ode;Voi:'-''treating . the butter, the wholesaiiji's-liavo been able to make it load •lip with' as aa 22 per cent, of water, lwlilch..-has' been paid tor by local houseof from $ to i 0 cents a. jiouhu. ( : by the:officers jfir' tno investigations tliat 'certain' 61' the wholesalers have been in the habit of buying butter from New Zealand and from tho Manitoba and Eastern _ creameries, and before selling it, havo sliced the ;butter up into thin--sections that are allowed.. to stiirid nil night-immersed in a ,vat of water. ' During'the night tho butter soaks.in a considerable percentage of Vater, ' which-'is incorporated with the butter when tyie hiass is kneaded together again before being put up into pats. . 'l'he extreme limit of water allowed in butter under tho_ Canadian statutes is 16 per cent. In New Zealand it is only ;12 . per cent. • By tho water ■treatment.alleged to be accorded the but-, ter in certain of the less careful wholesale houses, the butter is made to go as high as 20 and 22 per cent, water. The clauses of the Inspection and Salo Act prohibiting such treatment of butter are as follows; "No person shall mix with butter any acid, alkali, chemical or any. substance whatover, which is introduced or used lor the purposei or with the effect of causing the Dutter to absorb water or any part of milk or cream; or manufacture, import Into Canada - , or offer, sell, expose, or nave in. his possession for sale any such mixed butter, any renovated butter or process butter. ■ , "No person shall manufacture or'> import into, Canada,* or offer, sell, or have in his possession for salo any butter con-taining-over 16 per cent, of water." Tho penalty provided by tho law for breaking this Act is only-oCIO, but a recommendation is. being made .that the House pass an amendment increasing. the penalty' t0'4200, which, is the amount of tho penalty imposed by the law in Washington an<L several other of the United States.. .