The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1883. ADULTERATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1493, 26 September 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1883. ADULTERATION.

On the Ist of December next a new Adulteration Prevention Act comes into operation which will be of special interest to bakers and others. Those who manufacture our daily, bread will find that they have been warmed up in the Parliamentary oven in-the late session. On and after the day in question every baker must have his full initials stamped in .Roman letters not less than an inch long upon everyloaf sold. He is also required under the same penalty to have the true weight of the loaf similarly stamped upon it in figures of a like size. An equal penalty will be imposed on every person oft'ering for sale in any store, shop or building, or in any street or open place of public resort any loaf not so stamped, and on anypernon Belling bread dificient in weight. In selling "stale bread," which is defined as bread which has been manufactured for twenty-four hours or more, the stale loaf may be short weight, but the loss is to be made up by adding other bread, so that the customers shall receive the weight paid for, A penalty of £5 is prescribed for ihe infringement of this rule. Bakers are to sell only in " French loaves," or " batch loaves" of two, four six or eight pounds in weight respectively, J55 fine being again imposed for the infringement. . In this district where probably there is no adulteration, and where bakers as a rule give fair weight, the new Act will result in no great' advantage. The baking fraternity will be worried -and harassed, and will probably charge the public an extra halfpenny a loaf to cover expense ot stamping. The Act may be necessary

in some parts of the colony, but in the Wairarapa it will simply be a'bread tax on the public, And' after all it does not catch the j caVeless indolent;.' baker- ; >ho. will tfot tatt the trouble to make There is no penalty for heavy'bread and sour bread, and/yet most people would prefer eating sweet palatable bread adulterated with potatoes to the former. The Act also provides that, any purchaser of drugs or articles of food may have them analysed by a Government analyst on payment of a 1 fee, and prosecute if adulteration be detected. The inspectors may procure for analysis samples of food or drugs paying the ordinary price. There is a o£lo penalty for refusal to sell to purchasers for analysis, The purchaser is to divide the article into three parts, nud each' is to be sealed up, and one i delivered to the . vendor, one to the analyst, and one detained by the purchaser for comparison Samples of imported wines or spirits may be demanded without payment by the Inspector for analysis, and if adulteration bo discovered the importer must enter into a bond to destroy the adulterated liquor or export it from the colony, failing which it is to be destroyed by the Customs, All milk and other articles of food and all drugs must reach the standards specified in the schedule to the Act, Spirits may be reduced in strength by dilution with water to 25deg under proof in the case of brandy, whiskey, or rum, or 35deg for gin. It is to be no defence to a prosecution for adulteration to prove that the analyst's fee was not paid, or the purchaser having bought for analysis was not prejudiced by the sale, or that the article, though defective in nature and substance or quality was not defective in all theso respects. The Adulteration prevention Act belongs to a large class of measures passed by Parliament which are never intended to be strictly carried out, It is simply another legislative scare-crow.