THE BAKERS AND MILLERS, ACT, 1871.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 910, 6 January 1872, Page 2

THE BAKERS AND MILLERS, ACT, 1871.

(From the " Lyttelton Times.") During the recent session of the General Assembly an Act was passed to regulate the sale of bread, and to prevent the adulteration of meal and flour. This Act comes into force on the first day of January next, and it may interest the public, as well as millers and bakers, to whom it more particularly refers, to know something about its provisions. The new Act is based on an English statute, passed in the reign of William the Fourth, and in the main it will most probably do as much for the protection of the public as Acts of a similar class, but it will not altogether prevent tho adulteration of bread. The fourth clause provides that " all : bread made for sale or sold or exposed for sale within any part of New Zealand " must be made of certain ingredients only. These are specified to be pure and sound flour or meal of wheat, barley, rye, oats, buckwheat, Indian corn, peas, beans, rice, or potatoes, or ! any of them ; with any common salt, pure water, eggs, milk, barm, leaven, • potato, or other yeast, mixed in such i proportions as may be thought fit, but with no other ingredient or matter whatsoever. Bread is divided into ' three classes, and the fifth clause pro- > vides that in each class it " shall always be well made " —a somewhat futile enactment—and that no alum or • mixture in which alum shall be an iugredient, or any other mixture or ingredient whatsoever except those mentioned in the Act, shall be used. Every person who " knowingly" offends , in this matter is liable to a penalty , not exceeding ten pounds nor less than forty shillings. The first class of bread includes : what is called standard wheaten bread. | This must be made of wheat flour which is the whole produce of tho grain, the bran or hull only excepted, without any mixture or division. The second class is designated household wheaten bread, and may contain a portion of the bran or hull. Every loaf in this class must be " marked with a large Roman H." The third class is called mixed bread, and includes all bread made wholly or partially of the flour of any other sort of com or grain than wheat, or of the flour of peas, beans, or potatoes. Every loaf of this description must be marked M. Those who neglect to place these distinctive marks on the class of bread to which they apply incur a penalty of ten shillings for every pound weight sold. All bread must be sold by weight except those descriptions known as French or fancy bread. Bakers are at liberty to make their loaves of any weight or size they think fit, but sell by weight they must, or they render themselves liable to be fined any sum not exceeding forty shillings for every offence. Moreover, it ia distinctly provided that they must use the avoirdupois weight of sixteen ounces to the pound. It they are convicted of using any other, they may be fined any sum not exceeding five pounds nor less than five shillings, and if they refuse to weigh bread—in their shops—when requested to do so they are liable to a fine. The fourteenth clause of the Act, which refers to bread made of unwholesome flour, is somewhat hazy, though the intention is evident enough. If any baker or confectioner should "wilfully or knowingly" have upon the premises used by him in his trade, impure, unsound, or unwholesome flour , or if he should sell any bread &c, made of such flour he may be fined on conviction before two justices any sum not exceeding twenty pounds, and the unwholesome or adulterated articles may be confiscated. This, we believe is the sense of the clause, but there is some difficulty in arriving nt its preciso meauing. So far, the Act has dealt with bakers and confectioners only—tho persons who manufacture bread for sale to the public. But the millers are also stringently looked after. The penalty for adulterating meal or flour, or for selling flour of oue sort of corn as the° flour of another sort, is any sum not exceeding twenty nor less than five pounds. When the Act comes into force, any justice, or any constable authorised by warrant under tho hand of a justice, can at " seasonable times iu the daytime," enter into any house or premises occupied by millers, bakers, and others, to search and examine for tho purpose of discovering whether any offence has been committed, and the usual penalties for obstructing j such search are specified.