NEW MARGARINE INDUSTRY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16455, 6 June 1919, Page 7

NEW MARGARINE INDUSTRY.

TRIUMPH FOR BRITISH ENTERPRISE.

(By Sir Leo Chiozza Money, in the Daily News.)

My path in this war has been from time to time made slippery, but not exactly eased, by the great fat question. First, there was the problem or blockading tho enemy in respect of rat. No slight task, that. _ Then there was tho question of obtaining priority lor oil and margarine machinery. /-hen came the question of getting fat tor ourselves, in spite of the submarines, which, unfortunately, had been complicated by lack of proper precautions in 1914-16. . , ' Well, wo are through with it, not so fat as wo were, some of us; but, nevertheless, attained to tho jolly Poiat of burning our margarine coupons, vve can buy a whole hundredweight without qualm of conscience, and begin to resume a proper convexity. More, we can not only oat as much fat as we need, but we have actually a margarine capacity large enough to enable us to export. Tho change which has been accomplished is exceedingly creditable to British industry, and calls for special notice. , , , Before the war we imported about one-half of the margarine wo consumed. Although we had within the Bnlisli Empire the finest supplies of oleaginous materials in the world, we weie quite content for the Continent to be the chief mlarket for them, and itor Continental chemists to work out the nice problem of changing oils into edible fats resembling butter. ALL IMPORTS STOPPED. In 1914 we imported from the Continent, mainly from Holland (Germany needed her big production for her own consumption) 1.529,000' cwts of margarine, while we produced 1,726,000 cwts. at home. The consumption of niargai - ino increased as butter supplies tell off,, and has gone on increasing. At the end of margarine rationing the British domestic rationed consumption has risen to 5000 tons per week, or 10,/UO,000 cwts. a year—this, be it remembered, is apart from the army and navy consumption. ' . British margarine factories now furnish tho entire supply. If vve tum to the latest Board of Trade returns, we find no entry of imported margarine. The 2,052,000 cwts. of imports of 1915 have fallen to nil. Not only so, but we are in a position to export. The capacity of onr factories now exceeds all British domestic, naval and military requirements by 1500 tons a week, or 1,560,000 cwts. a J 6 We shall get from the imported seeds and nuts not only enough margarine for ourselves and a balance for export, but, as a by-product of seed-crushing, plenty of cattle-cake, and hence niore meat, milk, butter and cheese. Qua that tho pursuit of imitation butter should give mosp real butter ! It hasn t come along yet, but its coming. On December 31, 1914, I wrote : The British Empire has within its borders tho most splendid stores of raw mateiials for margarine making. You would have thought it the most natural thing in tho world for the British Empire to be supplied with sufficient intelligence to crush its own nuts and seeds, to study tho product scientifically, and 1 , as a proud manufacturing nation, to make, not onlv enough margarine for itself, but for many other people beside. In four vears this work has been done, and well done. Many other tasks of the same kind remain to do. \v e have a splendid workshop, good coal near the sea, and fine ports into which to bring tho materials of all the world. A word must be added as to the great and successful work of the Ministry of Food in organising and distributing the margarine. It has brought us with marelloiis success through the leanest time in our history, not only by successful rationing, hut by scientific, wholesale distribution and transport, and by insisting upon a. good standard margarine. Those who know and understand the wonderful task which has been accomplished will not neglect to pay thanks to those whoso work safeguarded the community and brought us to the position in which that work is no longer necessary. * -