A MATTER OF COLOUR

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2487, 14 June 1915, Page 8

A MATTER OF COLOUR

TRICKS IN EVERY TRADE. Speaking of tho respective quality of New Zealand and United States buttci Mr. Welcome 11, Laivson, of the Beatrice Creamery Co., Chicago, now in Wellington, states that we have an advantage in producing butter of more even quality than '.hey do in America. Our grading system has brought about this desirable advantage, which was rendered possible by tho all-thc-year-round pasturage given the cows. ' For seven riioaths of the year in America the cows were store fed, and during that time t'lie quality was naturally not quite so good, and the butter turned out white instead of the nice yellow tint which found favour on the market. The result of that was that the butter had to be artificially coloured for the greater-part of the year. There was no law against that, as the colouring matter was harmless, but in order to prevent the public being imposed ] upon by the substitution of oleomargarine, it was unlawful to colour margarine. ' At least it was not exactly unlawful, but there was a tax of 10 cents a pound on coloured margarine—a. tax that was largely brought about by those interested in tho butter trade. One big producer of margarine, seeking to defeat the law, had supplied his customers with tho margarine and vegetable colouring matter separately and sent ■ ound agents to show the shop-keepers how they could mix it to represent butter. The law was usually slow, but- it got him, and penalised him for 175,000 dollars as well as cloliriving the social circle of his presence for ft couple of years. _ "The comic aspect of the business is t'liat whilst margarine is not allowed to bo coloured and butter is in thq States," concluded ,Mr, Lawson, "in England anyone mav colour margarine hut not butter. Your New Zealand butter requires no colouring as the Fmclish demand is for a light coloured butter."