BUTTER BRANDS.

Waipa Post, Volume III, Issue 120, 18 June 1912, Page 4

BUTTER BRANDS.

DISCUSSED BY DAIRYMEN. An interesting discussion on butter brands took place at the annual meeting of the South Island Dairy Association. Mr W. J. Bolt, representing the Taieri and Peninsula Co., moved: —"That butter made from homeseparated cream and whey be exported under a brand other than New Zealand creamery butter, as used by butter factories whose milk is separated at creameries." The question of branding New Zealand export butter, he said, was a matter re-

quiring the careful consideration of factories and the Dairy Department. At its present highwater mark, the quality of New Zealand butter was equal to anything produced in the world. This was the result of the creamery system, and was branded

creamery butter. But now the factories were face to face with the new home-separator system, and the manufacture of homeseparated cream into butter. Produce thus made was at present branded creamery, butter, and marked first grade, so long as it could be graded 88 points. Was it honest or fair to brand it creamery butter when it never was near a creamery ? It was placed upon the world's markets under a false name. Was it fair to factories which had raised the

reputation of New Zealand butter to its high standard to be branded in the same manner without any distinguishing mark ? In the early days of the r'airy industry Australian produce was superior to New Zealand, but the homeseparator in Australia had lowered the quality until it now stood at about 4s per cwt. below' New

Zealand prices. New Zealand exported some 16,000 tons of butter a year, and that at 4s per cwt meant £64,000 more to New Zealand than to Australia. He was of opinion that the factories should insist on an honest branding of their produce. Was it any

use preaching pasteurising to the creameries and cheese factories when under the home-separating principal the old system would be continued ? What was the use of one set of men spending their money while others did just as they liked and made tuberculosis as bad as ever? Under the home-separation method there was no protection from dirty milk. Some parts of the dirt, perhaps very observable in the milk, were not detected in the cream. What they asked was that the produce should be branded what it really was — creamery, home-separated, or

whey butter, and the industry had a right to demand that. The Dairy Commissioner (Mr Cuddie) said Mr Bolt's proposal would be a very good thing, provided it could be given effect to. Before home separation was in-

troduced, it would have been :: very simple matter, but it war not so now. He was not in favor of home separation, and neve had been, for he knew how difficult it was to produce a first-clas article in this way. If this motio was carried the position would be j that they would be branding ;< a portion of their output as inferior. If they put a specia j brand on home separator crean; j they would, as it were, bejnittin;: j a black mark against the factory j butter rn the future, for the fac

tories might be prepared to accept home separator cream. The chairman, Mr G, Gray, said his position was that the various qualities of butter should be called exactly what they were. White should be called white, 1 and blac : black. j

"Mr Scott (Otaulau) opposed the motion, and viewed it as placing difficulties in the way of small farmers who might have special difficulties of transport, and therefore used a home separator. He thought the conference would do v/ell at least to delay the motion.

Several speakers drew attention to the difficulty-arising from the fact that some butter was made partly from factory and partly from home separator cream.

Mr Cuddie elicited loud applause by the remark that a railway to classify butter would be according to quality. Only I per cent, of 88-point butter went out of the Dominion last year. Mr Lunisden said this way was really a burning question in the North Island. He did not think they ought to press this to its full issue. Mr Bolt said Mr Cuddie's explanation had put the matter in a different light. He had said that Canadian and Australian butter was all marked creamery butter, though it was really homeseparator. He advocated the introduction of a super-fine grade in butter. He thought the discussion would do good, but he was willing to leave the matter over till the North Island had discussed it. The moticn was withdrawn.