The Chronicle

Horowhenua Chronicle, 10 September 1915, Page 2

The Chronicle

i'UIiLISLIH]) DAILY. LEVIN. lailiDAV. bhl'l. iU, 11)10. WHJiI IN iJili JJALAXCIi. The Lhronide has no personal griev- '[ ance against whey butler; in fact we concede -without .reservation tluvt ior those who regard <whey butt-er as sufficiently palatable and nutritious the article is good enough. Hut it should be bold as '-whey butter," and not be allowed to masquerade as the ordinary article, which it did do as Ion {4 as it went abroad branded "factory butter." A detrimental process was worked upon \cw Zealand's bilttcr-'ciass buttor whenever whey-butler was sold ostensibly tis ordinary butter. Thereiore Iho New Zealand "Agricultural Department's decision that 'whey butler must be branded '"whey butter' is commeudablej and, on the obverse side, .my members ol Parliament who, to promote the private ends 01 certain peoplo amongst eunslititenui, rise up in Parliament to protest against Oeneiicial action on behalf oi' the -w'hoie community, should be rebuked. ilie arguments lor misleading' labels are bet out 111 the latest issue ot Hansard, in i'lie subject, matter oi' a question asked by Mr Honitsby, .U.l', lor tlie Wairarapa. JJc called the attention ol the Minister lor Agriculture to the fact that a statement had gone out by the press oi the country that what was commonly known as "'whey butter' was to be specially . branded 'Svbey butter." The old brand which distinguished it from ''creamery' , and was called "factory butter. , ' had answered all necessary requirements (Mr Jtiorns•by alleged,), but it was now to be &et abide. Was the Minister ol' Agriculture aware that the old brand was being done away with, and the nww brand proclaiming the article to be _ ;whey butter insisted upon? A large number ol' lactones which were manufacturing this butter had been very successful, and had turned out an excellent article, but they would be greatly prejudiced il the nmrjs "whey butter" wad placed upon it, in place ol the old brand ol '"Factory Butter. ■' Mr MacDuuald (Minister of Agriculture) replied that there had been some negotiations in connection iwith the matter. it wms beyond question that whey butter luul .been exported from .New Zealand on to the London market, which wins not in the interests of the industry if it prejudiced the sale of ordinary factory butter to any extent. However, nothing deiinite had been dune, as the matter wa.s still under consideration. Factories desired that there should be a clear difference in the ■brands of the two butters, but as to the actual steps that would be taken he- was not in a position to give a deiinito reply .that day. The matter of giving a (separate brand to w'lioy butter was under consideration. Mr Hornsby asked the Manihter if lie would hear the companies before a final decision •was arrived at. Mr Mac-Donald si-id he would be very pleased to got all posfiible information on the subject.