BUTTER WITHOUT BORAX.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 205, 23 May 1908, Page 3

BUTTER WITHOUT BORAX.

. FAVOURED TREATMENT WANTED. , GOVERNMENT SHOULD: sim; -, Thcro seems to bo a good case to bo mado cut for special; representations, to the British Government concerning the suggested pro- ' hibition of preservative in butter. _ The gonoral opinion of men. of long experience lyith butter in New Zealand and Australia ■ is the total prohibition of- borax and othor preservatives from all butter imported into Britain will cause New Zealand butter to fall to a lower, place in tho London market. Allegations - aire put forward now and 'then that pasteurisation will', do all that is rc?[uireu, and that-thero. is v no.need for : any urthcr.-action:: Butl there aro irresponsible pooplo who^'will;say. anything at any time regardless of tho evil-'results that, may bo caused by .these rash What tho farmers want are facta.'. While it is, generally boiioved - that pasteurisation, and even extromo cleanliness in the . work of tho farm and the dairy factory will in time enable 'us to put good butter; into' London," the chief ■ fact!to 'bVfaced-at present is that wo havo not yet reached :that; ■ stage.- ' If' the ■' last t-ivolvo' years' Efforts- havp produced .only a 10,por 'cent; improvement in the methods of tho-industry, it is" not reasonable to expect' a 90 pdr. cent, improvement to bo made now at a month's notice. If. one had. an offer to take, without examination, fifty boxes of butter stored:at.Taranaki with Jib. per cent. ■. borax or' fifty' boxes' without any preservative, each : lot being two months' old, tho chances are that everyone who knows anything about butter,"would; choose that with borax. No one has any right to say, that becauso tho farmer has not hitherto succeeded in .producing b'utter that wiirkeep .good for two. months'without borax, it; will serve him rigit;.if he is damaged by the expected, re-. • guiation.. Ho has dono. his best according to his knowledge'and his means, and he expects help and not hindrance, from his Gbyennmiht. The best hMp' .the' Government can give in the face -of tho 'danger now, is to act promptly, to' divert it. Possibly the ... Government' : :has 'already. r taken,'steps 'to' lay .the:, Now. Zealand case before , the Imperial authorities; but; if not, it-is suggested;_that tho'British authorities' should be asked either intentions in TCgard to.the prohibition of,preservative; 'and,'Vif - the : regulation be room B'!dored ' imminent, it should bo asked either. (I).that the colonies; over a month's journey. . distant'should •be exempted; or' (2) that these coWnies .should be. given ample notice i before t!)o -rcgulation i . is: applied tO''them. -If cxemptidn'.were granted to' New Zealand biittcr, it would then bo' optional for our producers to : . markqt .their butter !in London either without _with;_a '.label', stating -that it' contains a certain weight per box of the best preservative. The Government canttht .reasonably- regard tho < threatened prohibition; as - trivial';v/hilo.'it"admits' : that preservative- is neccs3ary -in o nearly i all tho butter that.' is consumedl.lbcally,..eyen '.though !'it ■ has/.not, to bo kept for two months. Tho chief danger ' is'that.tlio. Government may delay any action' till it.is too late. '.; .