MEAT AND PRODUCE FRAUDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2565, 13 May 1903, Page 11

MEAT AND PRODUCE FRAUDS.

PROPOSED PARLIAMENTARY ACTION. (From Our Own Corbispoxdext.) LONDON, March 21. I hear that Mr Alfred Davies, M.P.. the Welsh member of Parliament who recently asked a question in the House of Commons in reference to the palming off on customers of Argentine and other fresh meat as •'Home-killed" jr "English," intends pursuing the matter still further. His object is to introduce a bill to amend the Merchandise Marks Act, and so to make convictions easier of attainment. Under the prosent act, however, the Danish Government this .week instituted a prosecution against a North Country trader for gelling Finnish butter as "Danish," and obtained fines and costs amounting in the aggregate to no less a sum than £238. Complaints constantly reach the Agentgeneral regarding frauds perpetrated by tailers, who sell mutton and lamb aa "New Zealand" when it is not from the colony at all. Of course, where practicable, prosecutions will from time to time be undertaken. But to bring home the offence to the offender is a most difficult matter. In the meantime the Agent-general has issued, through the Produce Department, a circular applications for which are being received almost daily from retailers and others. And m> highly important has it been deemed that it has been published unasked m full in the meat trade papers. This oircu'ar states: — "Prime New Zealand mutton is acknowledged by experts to be equal, if not superior, to the finest mutton produced in this country. During the years that New Zealand has been engaged in the development of the- frozen meat industry the improvement in the breed of jheep there has been continuous, until now the quality of tho mutton sent Home is of the highest, and can hardly be excelled. " New Zealand meat when killed in the colony is immediately cooled and then frozen, in whicli condition it is kept until placed on the market here fcr ?ale. Until the> frost is entirely eliminated from the meat it is not ready for cooking, ar.d even then, being only in a condition corresponding with newly-killed English meat, a certain amount of hanging, a= in the cuso of the latter (say, from three tc five day?, according to the season and temperature), is necessary in order to render it sufficiently tender for use. The quality of New Zealand meat, like thai of English, is always improved by being thus treated. " New Zealand meat h superior to Eng]u:h in keeping qualities during hot weathor. I It fchould be kept in a dry, cool (not cold) , larder, and. whicli is of great importance, j joints should be sc hung that the juices do i not drip from the cut end. It ia advisable j to point out that although New Zealand ment when hung loses it.s bright appearance j more rapidly than meat slaughtered in this country, thir- in no way affect: ids freshness or quality. When sufficiently buna New

Zealand meat requires aio special treatment in cooking, care such as that exercised with English meat being all that is necessary. "The deliberate manner in which many butchers throughout this country sell ac ' New Zealand' meat that has not been produced in that colony — necessitating steps beimg taken by prosecution to expose the fraud— has determined the Agent-general to draw the attention of consumers to this practice. While such action on the part of butchers might be accepted as a very high compliment to the merit*? of New Zealand meat, by thus acknowledging its superiority, tho Agent-general thinks it only right that he should endeavour to prevent damage to the New Zealamd meat trade by the substitution of an inferior article, and that he should guard the interests of consumers who are anxious to be .supplied with the genuine article against the loss they sustain through the action of unscrupulous traders. '' In Di-der to protect themselves against inferior meat from other parts of the world being pahr.ed off on them as 'New Zealand.' the Agent-general suggests to consumers to ask. when making purchases of New Zealand meat, that they be supplied by the vendor at the time of sale with an invoice clearly indicating that the meat with which they are supplied is New Zealand. A fatae invoice issued by a vendor renders him liable to prosecution and heavy fine under the- Merchandise Marks Act. " Should any person have difficulty fn ascertaining where locally they can obtain genuine New Zealand meat, this information will be supplied on application to the Agent-general, who will also be pleased to reply to any other inquiries that may bo made concerning it."