EXCESSIVE MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 191, 16 September 1909, Page 2

EXCESSIVE MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

THE AUCKLAND CASE DISMISSED. GOVERNMENT GRADERS ADVERSELY CRITICISED. By Tclegraj h.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The case against the New Zealand Dairy Association, charged with shipping to London butter containing more than 16 per cent, of moisture was concluded at the Police Court this afternoon before Mr. C. C. Kettle, B.M. Sydney Morris, Factory manager for the defendant company at Pukekohc, stated that he had had 26 years' experience in England and New Zealand, He was the oldest factory manager in New Zealand. From the factory at Pukekohe they turned out about 800 tons put year. He regarded free moisture as essential to good butter, and it was not unusual to find small pockets of watar varying in size from the smallest particle to the size of a walnut. That wai no new thing in the manufacture ot hutter. They had a testing officer (Mr. Stevenson), who made almost dally examinations. These had occasional'/ been checked by the Government Analyst (Mr. Pond). The system followed in taking a sample was to cut the butter down with a thread and then test the whole sample, and not a portion. During last season 102 tests were made, giving an average of 12.04 -per cent, of moisture. At no time did any of witness' tests show an abnormal amount of moisture. Of the 800 tons turned out by witness last year he did not think any of it at the very extreme , would go beyond U pur cent of moiature. He refused to believe that tie butter could have contained anything like 10 per cent. i The Magistrate said in view of the evidence 1 , he did not consider the Crown bad proved beyond all possibility of ' doubt that the butter in question contained more than 16 per cent of moi«-tui-e. The case would therefore be dil- . missed. He adversely criticised the , methods which had been adopted by the .'• Government graders in taking only one : sample and in not enabling defendants to cither witness the taking of the , sample or check the analysis. Be ; thought that where samples were being taken with a view to prosecution those ■ interested should be given an opportun- i ity of being present.