A CATCHING SUBJECT.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8086, 26 September 1894, Page 1

A CATCHING SUBJECT.

Evoryfching that tolls against foreign produce and manufactures is naturally made tho most of in England. Tho latest complaint agaimt our frozen mutton is nob directed at tho meat, bub against tho barbed staple which lias recontly conio into uso instead of twino to attach tho label to each carcase. It certainly is not a nico thing to contemplate as an addition to a chop if left in tho mutton, as it sconts to havo beon in ad least one instance Tho staple is like unto tho bits of wiro now used for bookbinding, bub each log is barbed liko a fish hook to prevent the staple from withdrawing from tho moat by accident. Were it not for tho risk tho consumer would run, tho leaving of the barbs in tho mutton would bowl out tho English butcher who assorted that tho meat waa " tho best Scotch, mum." Tho writer of a London letter in tho Huntly Express, of August 4th, opens a paragraph on tho subject with somo roforences to "doath in tho pot," Lucronzia Borgia, strychnine, etc., and goes on—* 1 bub another dangor now threatens tho public. The. meat brought from our Now Zealand colonies (!) has in several instances been found to contain a small but dangerous instrument [tho "Now Zealand meat dovi'," with lllubtration]. For what purposo it is introduced into the mutton it; would bo difficult to say. Is it a newform of infernal machine invented to terrify an inoffensive public, or is it a covert attempt to injure tho trade in foreign meat? Whatever tho object may be, tho deadly character of tho instrumont if swallowed by anyono cannot bo doubted, and it would bo well for all who are in the habit of buying colonial meat to oxamino it well before cooking.