NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17112, 18 March 1919, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE CHINESE EGG.

In view of the discussion which has taken place in New Zealand on the Chinese ogg, it is interesting to note that in the report of the British Local Government Hoard for 1917-18 there is a section dealing with the importation from China of eggs in liquid form. Before the war the bulk of this material went to Germany, and the small quantifies brought to Britain were used for industrial purposes <wd, to a limited extent, for confectionery. After the outbreak of war large consignments arrived at certain ports as cargoes in prize chips, and since then large quantities havo been imported in the ordinary course of trade. Theso products, Dr. MacFadden, the author of the report, states, occasionally arrive in the form of whole egg mixed, but usually the egg yolk and egg albumen are Bent separately, In the latter case the albumen may be sent in a fluid state with preservative added or in a crystalline dried form. Samples of volk examined by the city analyst in London were found to contain boric acid in amounts varying from 1.35 to 2.08 per cent. Sometimes common salt up to 10 per cent, is used with a smaller amount of boric acid. Until comparatively reconlly tho use of this liquid egg for food purposes was confined to the manufacture of cakes, and biscuits, etc. When used for these purposes the amount of boric acid in the finished food as eaton is reduced ito about five grains per pound, During the latter part of 191 howevor, liquid egg began to appear on the market in large quantities packed for domestic use in small tins and jars reputed to contain tho equivalent of from nine to twelve, or more, eggs. In this form the product was available to the general public for use in milk puddings, pancakes, etc., and used for such purposes the amount of boric acid consumed by tho individual would be considerable. There is also eood reason to believe that large quantities have for some time been used in restaurants for similar purposes. The employment of these boricised products for domestic and restaurant use is open to very serious objection, In the case of tha smaller receptacles sold retail, some of the packers make a statement to the effectthat the contents should not be used for omelettes or scrambled eggs; but even this small measure of protection is not Available to the members of the public nsing hotels, restaurants, and similar places. Dr. MacFadden suggests that as the importation of egg products to Britain from abroad will necessarily increase in the future, it would be very advantageous, both from the point of view of the health of the consumer and of the economy in shipping space, if arrangements could be made for the produat to be shipped as dried e"~ instead of in a liquid form. Dried egg imports have proved very successful, and if the eggs are prepared and packed properly in this form they are a wholesome and useful foodstuff.

LOWER FREIGHTS PROBABLE. In a memorandum on the world's merchant shipping, Sir James Wilson, K.G.5.1., chairman of the Central Agricultural Wages Committee for Scotland, discusses the probable movement of ocean freights in the immediate future. He argues that within a few months the supply of shipping for commerce will be greater than the demand, as compared with the pre-war relationship, and that freight® will fall to a level not much more than double the ratce which were current before the war. It is noteworthy that Sir James Wilson makes only a slight reference to the large quantity of tonnage which, it is generally assumed, will bo required for some time to come for the transport of troops from Europe to the United States and the British Dominions overseas, and omits to mention that Europe will require a great deal of reprovisioning. He points out that it seems to be practically certain that the world's total merchant steamer tonnage (including that in enemy countries) though considerably less than it was in July, 1914, is at present larger than it was on tho average of the five years before the war, that it will go on rapidly increasing, and that it will a year hence be much larger than il ever was in the world's history. All ships in enemy hands will soon become available for use, much of the shipping hitherto employed in operations of war is already being returned to ordinary commerce, and it will not be long before the quantity of tonnage actually employed in trade, apart from that still required for the repatriation of men and munitions, will be as large as it was on the average of the five years before the war. On the other hand. Sir James Wilson maintains the demand for the transport of goods by sea is not likely for a considerable time to be as largo as it was on the pre-war average. The resources of most European countries have been greatly reduced, and it will take some time to reorganise their industrial life, so that the effective demand for the import of food and raw material into Europe is likely to be for some time less than the pre-war demand. For the same reason the qunatity of manufactured goods exported from Europe is likely for some time to be less than it was before the war; so that altogether it seems probable that a few months hence the supply of shipping for purposes of trade will be greater than the demand for shipping as compared with the prewar relation of supply and demand. Altogether, Sir James Wilson adds, it seeni6 probable that the supply of shipping in the world as a whole will soon be found equal to the demand for shipping, and that freights will in a few months fall to a level not much more than double tho rates which were current before the war, whereas recently, as regards wheat, they were about 15 times the averago pre-war rates.

PENNY POSTAGE. The council of the London Chamber of Commerce at a recent meeting resolved to forward to the Prime Minister, the President of the Board of Trade, and the Postmaster-General a memorandum dealing with postal and telegraphic questions. After recordir g its conviction that in the interest of British trade the Government should at the earliest possible date effect a return to the postal and telegraphic conditions which the public onjoyed before the wai 4 , the council said that first in order of importance it places penny postage, and declares that the incalculable advantages which followed its introduction do not need emphasising. The commercial community, it is stated, raised no objection to the increases proposed by the 1918 Budget, when the-end of the war did not appear to be in sight, when the total cost of the war could not be estimated, and when the general situation necessarily restricted commercial enterprise. The circumstances have already changed, and the council contends that the arguments in favour of the increased postal charges are no longer tenable. The council then urges the introduction of penny postage with France, the complete freedom of rable . ommunication as in pre-war times, the restricted use of cable codes other than those now officially authorised, and of registered telegraphic'addresses, as well as the resumption of the deferred and week-end cable rates.