OUR BUTTER AT HOME.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 532, 12 June 1909, Page 5

OUR BUTTER AT HOME.

■- .■■■ ■ • '■——.•■' *. ■" —' ' , '-EXCESSIVE MOISTURE. ,(bT TEMOBAPII— PBESS ASSOCIATION—COFTBIGHT.) '•'(Rec. June 11, 1110: p.m.) ■;•':. , London, June 15 The provision trad©'section of the London Chamber o*f Commerce is protesting against tho excessive moisture of Australian and New Zealand butters, and asks the Governments to exercise special supervision ,to ■ avoid this, ."•■.. : • •;■■'■ ; .' ■•V:'another aspect. ; .-' : In a recent issue of: The Dominion, Mr. Jas. Burgess, of Warea, ' Taranaki, wrote:— "Butter buyers, having given too high a price for outputs at the beginning of the season, are, now crying out that New Zealand, butter contains too r..uch moisture, and that it is to this fact niust attribute the fall, in price on the Home market. If this.be a fact, where should the blamo for too much moisture be placed? .Most decidedly on the local buyers. If farmers-buy. manures, they pay on the percentage of phosphates, potash, or nitrogen containedin it, not merely forthe weight, and so. with other commodities that can be analysed. But the butter buyers have not given a fraction more for a butter containing only 9 per cent, or 10 per cent, of moisture thaii for one containing VI per cent, to 18 per cent. Under these conditions it is hardly likely that any .dairy, company 'would, endeavour to make a dry butter, and thereby give away 3 per cent, or i per cent, of butter-fat for nothing. If the buyers want a dry'butter anil will pay. for it according to its fat contents, no doubt they will be abft to get it.- It certainly looks bad business to pay freight, insurance, and other charges on water, which can be had for nothing in England, nnd "the sooner butter is bought and sold (like other articles) on an analysis of its contents, the better for all concerned. ■ ■. There . can- be. little doubt that any very dry butter exported is blended and otherwise manipulated befor.e ; reaching !he consumer, but this need not concern us very much. Out object -is to obtain , the, best possible not return for it, find if buyers would purchase on tho lines suggested, I believe this object would be attained. :.. '• -. ■■■ .'.