MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 569, 26 July 1909, Page 10

MOISTURE IN BUTTER.

A COMGRATUiATION FROM HOME..

;■;. The'following Press ..Association.^ cablegram from London, concerning, tho ' in-butter question was > received at 5.5 p.m.' .yesterday:— ..... -.',-.■.<'■■ "- :, -:''■■•-■•".'■■' . r ,-, ■. '"'flio'newspaper '.Grocer , ...congratulates tko New Zealand Ministry mv its : . decision /to. prosecuto the mokors.of cxoossiyoly •■ nioi.st ; I-butter. V. Nothing , , could-, do ■".'more, (it says) ,to icstore the confldoiico of ,tlo English ■ inipor.t-y crs tlian the Im&wledgo .that tJie colonial "Government is doterrecnod, severely to' puii-' ish producers who-for a' srita.ll iinmodiato'gaiii are jeopardising, tlic pre-spe-rity of-;the-New Zealand butter .industry." ... ,

;"• It/Iras for smito -tiriie past been illegal in 'New-Zealand to submit.tor export any butter, containing overl6, per cent, of moisture.. i'Tlics is tho maximum-percentage allowed to 'be sold But. until lately the law at'this' end Jiad not \bcen very rigidly enforced, 'and thero had-beqn no prosecutions.' ('.Apparently tihcro ■ had been no ca-use: to do so. In till©'prceent,!'season,-however,;:p«r-sisbc&fc, statements have reached' No- Zealand that some of the butter'.on arrival' Home . contained, -an increased. percentage of, ' iacdeture. '. This increaso of moisture,, apart: from the legal" aspect; lessens the chance of tie blenders to incorporate additional niois■'tuTO, to their profit. Matters came- to a climax recently when the High Commissioner cabled t'ha.t a quorfsgn was to,-bo asked con- \ corning the subject; iii'tho : British 'Houso'of Commons. The' , Minister for. Agriculture,, in • Now' Zeatand, HonVT.''Mackenzie, then • an-. inbuncod that in future 'the makers of butter for export containing an excess of inoisturo would' be. prosecuted; . At the last Manruvatu- Dairy Show the ■."wettest , " butter contained about 15.70 per cent, of moisture: Tho New Zealand average is about 13 per, cent. .Thcro'is no la-wa-gainst tho sale locally of water-legged butter. .'-'..'" \' ■ .-.' .''; •■ ''.■