THE BUTTER TRADE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13235, 21 July 1906, Page 5

THE BUTTER TRADE.

I • IMPORTATION OF ; ■•'. " ' MAiIGAKINE. " TELEGRAM FROM THE PREMIER. :.. ' . [it TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ■;, , . Hamilton, Friday. i >i At a conference of farmers held to-day Mr. ■>■:■' Greenslade, M.H.R.,; said the season just closed had been the successful in the history of dairying in the colony, and the ■■; prospects for next season were most satisfactory. There were, however, adverse factors at work which must be nipped in the bud. ... He assured the meeting ;, that - during the , past week two tons of mar- : garine were landed in Auckland. It was . quite possible that this faked rubbish, this ;; so-called substitute for butter, was already V en the market in competition with farmers' butler, and for aught they knew, was passed off as butter. The importation was "made in kegs, one of which burst, disclosing the contents. This substance very, 1 nearly resembles butter in appearance. He s fact immediately sent the .'following;.tele-; \ -'gram to the Premier:—'VTwo. tons of mar- '' garine consigned to an Auckland merchant ■ . ani'ed in Auckland. 'I am given to un- ' ■" derstaud* that it is likely to be' sold to compete against farmers' butter, and pos- " sibly is butter. Is there any provision to • v prevent this', or any safeguards in the interests of public health':"' The .meeting passed the following resolution :—" That !'.. ■ this meeting views with concern the rei'7 . ported importation of margarine into this colony, and is strongly of opinion that such '■'a duty should be imposed upon margarine -as would prohibit its importation." • - Wellington, ■ Friday. The Premier has forwarded the following : telegram to Mr. Greenslade, M.H.R.: — : ."There, is no provision in the Margarine • Act to prevent a merchant from selling the -commodity, but it must be branded as margarine. The Commissioner is taking steps - to carefully watch'the shipment of mar- ': garine with a view to seeing that it does not come into competition as butter against M-jv:/farmers' butter." ■