A STORY OF PASTRY BUTTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 595, 25 August 1909, Page 10

A STORY OF PASTRY BUTTER.

THE AUCKLAND CASE. HOW A JUNIOR HAND BLUNDERED. In tho course of evidenco in tho Auckland case in which tho N.Z. Dairy Association was prosecuted for tho export of butter containing nn alleged excess of venter, tho secretary of the association, Mr. 11. E. Pnccy, said that this sample of butter was mado at ono of tho factories out of damaged cream at the close of the day. It was not included in tho ordinary make of butter for tho day, but was put through at tho end of tho day by a junior, and perhaps carelessly made. This was sent'to Auckland'to bo sold for pastry purposes. There happened to bo a glut,of pastry butter on the market at tho time, and this butter' this sent to England to bo spl;l for what it would bring. The association's agents in England understood that it was inferior butter, and would sell it as such. His Worship (District-Judge Kettle) asked why there was nothing on the box to show that tho butter was not for table use. Witness: There is tho brand. Tho Magistrate: The man who put that brand on tho boxes should also havo marked something to indicate that the butter was made from damaged cream. .Witness.; Any butter is "riuro creamery butter" which is handled in a creamery. Continuing, witness said that tho association learned that this shipment of butter contained excess of moisture only after it was on shipboard on the ;way to England. If it had boon discovered before, it would never have been shippedi . As soon as the advico was received from the Department tho butter was withdrawn-from .sale. The Departmental officers had statid that tho association's system- of manufacture would not permit of an excess amount of moisture being incorporated, and they agreed also that this troublo arose, through an 'inadvertency.

Mr. Mays (Crown Prosecutor i read letters which passed between Mr. D:' D. Cuddie (Chief Dairy Commissioner) and Mr. Spragg. Mr. Cuddie's letter was as follows: —"A eamplo of butter taken from a consignment received at the stores from |your Pukekohe factory vras.'analys<;cl at Now Plymouth on the_9th'* jnstant,' and' found to contain 16.17 per cent. :'of - moisture. You y,*ill observe that-it "is slightly'over the legal limit, and 1 would point: out iho.necessity of guarding against:any-excess over. 16 per cent. ' I presume you':are now using tho i combined churn and butter worker, and this will probably account for the high..moisture' content in this case. There has been quito , : a lot of trouble in this -connection at other 'factories this season,' and I am anxious to prevent any butter leaving the Dominion which would lead to a prosecution at Home, for it only needs one or two cases to bo taken up by the authorities there to seriously affect the-good name of New Zealand butter. I am bringing this matter under your notice purely in the interests of your company, and of the- dairy industry generally." This letter wns dated December 16, , 1908. Mr. Spragg, in reply, had .written:. "I confess to being surprised at-there'port, as our over-runs, even, when full allowances 'are made for losses' in manufacture', do hot indicate that we have any excess moisture'in our butter. In addition, w*o have a"'rough daily anaiysis'lmade: at our. factories; ■ which we have felt were genuine, guides- for..'us; and these have not indicated results similar to your report. In addition ; wo haite had ii report by Mr. Pond (Colonial Analyst) /.on samples taken haphazard from ' BnipmenLs. made to the freezing'stores on Mr. Pond's analysis is very simijar .to our; owti rough reports on.tbo day's make, -Wo are not using a combined churn and butter: worker in.:.clther of our factories. OurPukekohe manager has expressly objected to having'one. We:have.had one delivered at Ngaruwahia, which we intend ." cspori-. menting with, but it has not 'yet' been ;erected.";V'.? ; '. , -. .; -. .-'.:'

''M.Mr, l'acey: If the Department had given us full' ailvice, there would havo been no; jprosecutiori. '-'■'" J' „ / ,'. .., .'■.' :;,:Mr. Mays: Anchor and Dairy brands are, ;.ile'yond reproach.,. . That admitted. B.irt from anothei- sample* there')fa's. containing'l7.l per cent., and from another a. samplo containing 22.9 per cent, of water. Witness: Wo received ;no advice.,.,about that; Had we known j we, would' Ijaye; put lit into the destructor rather than havo exported it. ...

: Mr. Kettle: Why do,' yo.u. nbtv. _put' 'th^e stamp "inferior quality"' on 'those brands not up to the' right grade? . / .... Mr. 'Mays:,Havo^yoii'iiot'/had after report that your boxes were oozing with moisture? Have you not had grade note after grade note that'the moisture was leaking?

Witness: It is a question'of• churning, and thcro might bo only 12 per . cerit. ■ of moisture, and the boxes woufd still leak. Mr..Mays: But would . this not put ..'you on your guard? . ~' '..'■■'•/". •'.

Witness: No; we had tests made, and wo could not find. any: sample "going' anywhero near 16 per cent. That applies to our standard brands. We do not, of course, test pastry butter, aiid' if we had known that "No. 109" was the butter at fault thero would have been'no prosecution.

Mr. Mays: The grader is not to know that it is\pastry butter, or raad<3 from damaged cream.. Ho simply • brands it second grade. . Would this butter not be sold in London for table purposes? ', , Witness: My explanation is that the factory manager sent this butter down thinking it would be sold to pastrycooks. It was an inadrertency that it went through. . Mr. Hanna (defendant's counsel): Havo you over had-the opportunity of checking the Department's.tests?— No. ■

Mr. Mays: I must object to this; defendant has pleaded guilty,

Mr.-Hanna: No, now that you have gone into the question, I withdraw my plea. Wo must go into the whole thing do novo. The case was adjourned till-.Monday week.