MILLIONS OF CHINESE EGGS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 97, 25 April 1916, Page 8

MILLIONS OF CHINESE EGGS

IMPORTED 7KTO NEW .ZEALAND

A QUESTION OF QUALITY.

Mr. J. Balch, Canterbury,' moved at the Poultry Conference to-day :—"That the Government be asked to thoroughly investigate the quality of liquid yolks' now arriving in the Dominion from Asiatic countries, and urge, that they be analysed under the provisions of the Pure Foods Act, and, if possible, restrict their importation and make it compulsory for users of the imported article to advise the public of use in their establishments." - ' He said the birds were practically scavengers living in the. gutters of Chinese streets. These eggs could not be fit for'human .food. They cost 2d per dozen in .China. , They were imported .in an unshelled form, and used by some bakers. Mr. Merrett said a well-written and thoughtful letter had appeared in the Evening Post yesterday, which gave the impression that the Poultry Conference was sitting with a view to boosting up the price of eggs to the publicV It was a great pity that the New Zealand poultry fanner could not produce sufficient eggs for local consumption, so as to make importation impossible. He saii that he had seen an egg yesterday sold at 2s 8d per dozen that weighed undei' - one ounce. That was ridiculous. American eggs now coming in were a splendid article. The Chinese egg was another matter. .It was bought in China at 2d per dozen, and in its liquid form was largely used by some bakers. They were heavily preservatised The .water was evaporated and they reached New Zealand in that ' form in barrels of 10,000 yolks. There were coming to New Zealand some three million Chinese eggs within the next week or so. This showed quite clearly that New Zealand was unable to produce sufficient eggs for its own requirements. The people who placed orders foi" these Chinese eggs would gladly have obtained New Zealand eggs, but they gave orders for the Chinese under the impression that there was going to be a great shortage in this country. The cost to the baker' of Chinese eggs was Is 2d per dozen; but he (Mr. Merrett) was able io offer.New Zealand country eggs to bakers at Is per dozen, but they had .then-committed themselves to imported Chinese eggs. The writer of the letter in the Evening Post was quite justified in suggesting that importation should be resorted' to when eggs went to over Is 6d per dozen. The remedy for importation was in poultry raisers' hands/ They should produce more eggs,1 and then there would be no need to import.' , The motion was finally adopted.