EXCESS OF WATER.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 January 1921, Page 4

EXCESS OF WATER.

BUTTER NOT UP TO STANDARD STRATFORD FIRM FINED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Stratford, Last Night. A 1 fine of 10s and costs was imposed on the firm of Masters, Ltd., at the Magistrate’s Court this morning, on a charge of having sold on October 27 last a pound of separator Gutter, which did not confirm to the provisions of the Sale of Food and Drugs Ret, in that it contained 16.7 per cent of water, the Act permitting only 16 per cent. Mr. T. A B. Bailey, S.M.. was on the bench, and Mr E. H. Young appeared on behalf of the defendants, who admitted the offence. Mr. F. Coleman, inspector for the Health evidence as to purchasing the butter on the date mentioned, and stated that on analysis it was shown to contain 16.7 per cent of water Mr. Young said the firm handled very little separator butter, and the pound which waft the subject of the action was purchased from a retired fanner living in Stratford, who kept a few cows and made butter from the milk. The butter was usually made by- this man’s wife, but she had to go to hospital, when one of the daughters took up tlu* duty of making It. It was possible that the daughter was not so practised as her mother in the work of making the butter: but, in any case, the butter taken by the inspector had been made by the daughter. Counsel, contended that the amount of excess water was quite small, and pointed out that tradesmen had no method of testing butter to make sure it was alright.

The Magistrate reinarked that it was done in the big factories. Mr. Young said it was difficult in a small business, and if the inspector could invent, or devise means to enable butter to be tested he would con, fer a benefit on grocers. The Magistrate said that in the ease of farmers’ butter it might easily be that one day there would be an excess of water, while the next day’s make w«uild be unusually dry. Mr. Young asked that a small fine be imposed, as the offence was caused by circumstances over which the firm had no control.

In reply to a question by the Magistrate as to whether he found many faults in separator butter, the inspector said that he had been taking samples of butter only recently. Most of the butter in the shops was factory, enly a small amount of separator being met with. The factory butter was usually well under the allowed percentage of water.

The Magistrate, in imposing a fine of 10s, with costs, said that it seemed that only a small amount of separator butter was sojd, and it would be difficult for tradesmen to test it.