MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 182, 6 September 1909, Page 3

MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

ARGUMENT AT HOME. THE .QUBSrriON~IN PARLIAMENT,. Some time ago the New Zealand High Commissioner in London (Hon. HallJones), 111 telegraphing about the moisture in New Zealand butter, stated that a question on the s.,o|ect »as to be asked in the British I'arliament. That question apparently was asked bv Mr. I'lyiin, Ml:, on July li, for the Grocers' Uazeite of July lo'contains til- follow-' ing paragraph: "On Tuesday Mr. Flynn asked the honorable mem her for South Som.-.-v.,

as representing the iV„. ul -ut 01 taJ Board of Agriculture, .whether his attention had been called to tne report of the analysis of samples of butter taken by the New Zealand Government at New Plymouth, inclining Auckland and Wellington; is mi; an.'..,; rhal 0. 177 samples taken over 11,1 coiuame,! over 10 per cent moisture, iimt sunu- ot them showed percentages of water vurcing from 20.25 to 2.~>.5U; whether iie can say if the butter imported Irom New Zealand into this country is Government graded; and what steps, if ally, are taken by the Department in conjunction'with the Customs or other responsible Government Department, to protect importers and consumers 0 f butter in Great Britain.—-Mr. Stracnev, in reply, said they had seen the report to which the honorable , member referred. Under the New Zealand Butter Export Act, which came into operation on January 1, 1908, it is illegal to export butter containing more than 10 per cent, of water. All butter exported from NewZealand to this country is now Goverumet graded and analysed by Government analysts. The Customs officers take samples of it at the ports at which it arrives, and proceedings will be taken if it is found to contain more thai the legal amount of moisture." MR. CAMERON EXPLAINS AWAY.

In the following week the same trade paper published from the New Zealand Produce Commissioner, Mr. H. C. Cameron, the following letter:— NEW ZEALAND BUTTER. (To the Editor of the Grocers' Gazette.) Sir, —In the current issue of your valued journal, in the section headed "The Trade in Parliament," reference is made to questions asked in the House of Commons by Mr. Flynn concerning moisture in New Zealand butter. These questions had reference to analysis made in New Zealand by the Government analysts of butter in which over 10 per cent, of moisture was found. As Mr, Flynn's questions indicate that lie is under the. impression that butter found on analysis to contain this excess moisture is exported from the Dominion to' this country,! trust that you will kindly permit me to explain, for the benefit of your mimierous readers, the ;truc position. When the 16 per cent, moisture standard for butter was fixed by law in Bugland, the New Zealand Government, in order that this should be complied wit'i by the butter makers in the dominion, passed an Act—The New Zealand Butter Export Act—which eame into force on January 1, IflOS, making it illegal to export butter containing more than 10 per cent, moisture. In many newlysettled districts, however, especially in the orthern part of Auckland province, where the climate is warm, small cooperative creameries were being erected, .in which it was known that the latest appliances for controlling temperatures during butter manufacture were not always available. The Government, therefore, instituted a system of careful analysis for moisture of all butters coming into 'the grading centres, so as to ensure the export of only butter containing tile legal limit of moisture. The reports of the analysis referred to by Mr. Flynn includes butters from the warm districts in Auckland, hence the excess noted by him. The New Zealand Government, recognising tile difficulties to be contended with in newly-settled districts, does not prohibit the sale, for local consumption, of butter with moisture in excess of 10 per cent. Consequently butter found on analysis to exceed the limit is not debarred from sale within the dominion, although it is prohibited for export. The system of analysis introduced oy the New Zealand Government is undertaken to ensure that the English standard is complied with, and i 9 for the protection of importers and consumers of New Zealand butter in Great Britain. —I am, etc., 11. C. CAMERON, Produce Commissioner for the. New Zealand Government. 13, Victoria Street, S.W., July 13.