Margarine or Butter.

Hastings Standard, Issue 13, 11 May 1896, Page 4

Margarine or Butter.

A witness c:u i • f >re the select commit; of th ! i of Commons recently, Mr -J. * n i —an inspector at Wignn—??ud he thought it verv possible t'i« h Hl 1. t' I*. „ under t:* *mi 'i -"i Mi iU \ -i .i There s iu» <1 i»>t i! 1 '.r>oi mi".* people pi-.i' 1 " tr_ i-.lit . >• itt i of taste. lit u iu in! i 1 oj' in * > in wbii.li a ci. u-.i~i.ii • i < t ii r - garine. Ln\ni_r b. ■ ti *p' r * .1' into an ho-pit. i. c 'iiplirii'l lm* that tlu* b-uttr ~'Vj>ii 'ti .i •• ri.l i u taste in it." On mi|un\ :* v, -f* *■ ■! that he was iu the habit of purchasing " fi'penny" margarine. Mi* Sumner declared that the present laws directed against a<liilteration were ineffective, owing to the fact that the trade in adulterated stuffs was so profitable that the dealers could well afford to pay the fines and yet realise a handsome profit. All manner «>f tricks were resorted to for the purpose of baffling the inspectors, who had the greatest ditlieultv in obtaining sample*. In one instance a -shopkeeper, when he uiv'" r-:<>■• i that butter had been bought f>r i■=. !y -in. snatched the packet awliv fn.iu the purchaser, and in a second instance a milk purveyor deliberately smashed the three bottles of milk into which the liquid had been placed in order to meet the requirements of the Act. lie advocate* I a reform of the law, so thai the penalties might be iiHUf-tl ui offences under the Act, and «\ -i d that there should be a laig i nuu.b_i of inspectors. Mr T. rl. Elliott, secretary to the Board of Agriculture, afterwards said his Department thought that greater responsibility should be thrown upon the ii poi i s of foreign produce, and th: 1 1 t'( Cn tains and Inland Revenue olhct 1 juld be made use of to secun t ! it the Margarine Act was complied with by makers of margarine in this country.