NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20427, 23 December 1931, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND BUTTER.

BETWEEN-SEASON COMPLAINTS. THE MARKING ORDER. (raow our own correspondent.) LONDON. November 10. Many high-class retailers who previously were not favourable to New Zealand butter now find that the growing public demand for if necessitates their stocking it. Naturally, however, they wish to buy the finest grade. It is, therefore, most unfortunate that they cannot get the finest grade just at the moment. Although the question of distinct seasonal supplies from New Zealand has to a certain extent been overcome by judicious regulation of shipments there is a period still remaining—extending from September Ist to the end of Oc-. tober —when supplies of finest grades become unduly short. As this also is the period when store-stale butter makes its appearance on the market, there is a distinct increase in the complaints as to the quality of New Zealand butter at this time. This is assuredly a matter for the consideration of tho authorities in New Zealand. In the past retailers have preferred to sell butter as their own "best." They have maintained that certain butters go off at certain seasons of the year. They disliked giving a name to New Zealand butter, for instance, because their customers might get used to it when it was in the best condition and continue to ask for it between seasons when the retailer was not buying it. They preferred to keep up their standard of quality irrespective of whether the butter came from New Zealand, Aus : tralia, Ireland, or whether it was blended. , Now that New Zealand butter has a name nnd retailers are more inclined to sell it as such, it is'most necessary that at no season should.its quality decline. Not only does store-stale or inferior butter injure the effects of the continuous and judicious publicity that is going on but it constitutes a breach of faith with retailers and the public. Butter-Marking Order. In this connexion it may be stated that the order for marking butter given under the Merchandise Marks Act recently is not likely to come into force for a month or two yet. When an Order is recommended by the Standing Committee it has to lie on the table of the House of Parliament for twenty consecutive sitting days. The "House of Parliament" includes the House of Lords. Tb§ : Commons meetvrflve days a week when] in session, but the Lords may meet only;, three days a Week: Th's Order was on the table pn September 16th, aitdj so far as the Coinmpns were concerned.* about half tbi necessary time -had'f' passed when Parliament dissolved. So far as the House of Lords was concerned only about a quarter of \ the period had expired. It is hoped' that* the full period will have expired by.the| end of the year in sufficient time to send an application to the.first meeting of the Privy Council in January. After that three months has to elapse before the Order comes into operation.