IMPORTATION OF EGGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16025, 17 September 1915, Page 4

IMPORTATION OF EGGS.

POULTRY-FARMERS' REQUEST.

COMPULSORY BRANDING. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington. Thursday. Since the outbreak of the war the high price ruling for wheat and other fowl feeds has pressed very heavily on poultry farmers, the more so as owing to outside competition they find it impossible to get correspondingly high prices for eggs. One of the contributing factors tending to keep the price of eggs low or, rather, to keep the price from going abnormally high, is the importation of eggs from America. It is contended that these eggs have been sold in competition with New Zealand fresh eggs,, and poultry farmers have asked the Government to pass such legislation as will relieve them of competition, which they consider unfair. More specifically they have asked that all imported eggs shall be' branded with the name of the country of origin. Tins the Government has promised, and the Sale of Food and Drugs Amendment Bill, of which the Minister for Agriculture gave notice today, proposes to give the Government power to make regulations requiring that all imported foods, including eggs, must be branded with the name of the country of origin.