BUTTER TOO MOIST

Southland Times, Issue 17003, 29 March 1912, Page 5

BUTTER TOO MOIST

A FINE OF £5. <;Ver United Press Association)* AUCKLAND, March 2S. A charge of selling butter which contained moisture in excess of the amount permitted by law was brought against Henry Havelock Meredith, manager o£ the Helensvllle Dairy Factory, who appeared at the Police Court. Analysis had shown that the butter In question contained over 17 per cent, of water, while the regulations required that them should not be more than sixteen per cent. Mr Selwjtn Mays, who appeared on behalf of the Department of Agriculture. explained that all dairy factories in the country had been circularised by the Department, and their attention had been drawn to the fact that complaints had been received from London regarding excessive moisture in New Zealand butter. Mr Meredith explained that the offence was entirely the result of an inadvertance on the part of his buttermaker in not regulating with sufficient nicety the temperature of the cream. His Worship said that he could not accept such an explanation as sufficient excuse. A fine of £5 and costs £1 !• was inflicted.