SHORT-WEIGHT BUTTER

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160733, 20 August 1920, Page 11

SHORT-WEIGHT BUTTER

FOUND WEIGHT AND CASE WEIGHT. We have been requested to give publicity to the following letter, sent to Mr W. A. Ycitch, M.P., by the Maonland Dairy Compiny; Wanganui, August 18, 1920. Mr W. A. Veiteh, M.P., Wanganui. Dear Sir,—No doubt you will have noticed the casr where a grocer in Wanganui was fined for selling short-weight butter, widch gives me the opportunity oc putting this matter clearly to you and, I hope, to the public in general. With regard to my company, I might state briefly that we have throughout our business career adopted the policy of allowing fully a half to on© pound over y eight to every box of butter sold to the retail trade. It is a well-known fact to anyone who is in onr trade that the machinery employed for turning out pats or pounds is not so accurate as one should wish to have it For instance, the machine deals out 181b at one time, and it depends largely on the body of the butter whether each pound will oome out accurately. Unfortunately, some ecme out under weight and some over weight, and if you or anyone like to seo this operation at work we extend to them an invitation to visit our factory when this work is being carried out, to prove that we are correct in our statement. Since the keen inspection by the Government on the question of short weights has been in operation wo have taken special precautions and have placed one man in charge of the patting department for the purpose of weighing each individual pound, and our instructions have been that every pound must be guaranteed before the butter leaves the factory. The man who is in charge of this has to sign a docket which is enclosed in each box leaving onr works, and we have also, to safeguard ourselves against carelessness or mistakes, made a rule that if any trouble occurs or any one pound is found short weight, the packer loses his position and is dismissed from that work. We are absolutely certain that no box has ever left our factory which has not contained at least eight ounces over and above the guaranteed weight. But even wita this strict control at our end it is feasible, although not excusable, that some mistake might happen to a few individual pounds. What we, however,' should like to point out to you is that the law governing this matter is that if any six pounds in a package, which presumably means a box containing fifty pounds, are short weight one is liable under the law for selling short-weight butter, but some pounds may be considerably over weight, and no credit is given for over weight in this respect. The unfairness of this is evident, as the inspector goes in and tries a whole box, and if he can find six individual pounds slightly under weight he prosecutes the firm, and takes no notice whatever of the over weight which is given. It is a fact that several manufacturers have for this reason thrown up selling butter locally, and we ourselves do not intend to take up any new business for local sales, and if the law governing this is not altered to give the manufacturer justice it will undoubtedly come to this, that one cannot afford to take the risk of selling butter locally.It must also be quit© clear to anyone that on© cannot afford to pay a man a big salary for patting butter, as it is of minor importance, and we must employ young men for this work, or again it, would not be worth while doing it at all.

So far as our factory is concerned, wo have taken, every conceivable precaution The butter package is an open one, and it would be impossible for any factory to guarantee the butter after it leaves the factory door. Further, we might say that we have the finest set of scales procurable for the money, which again are tested ©very day by a standard pound weight. Our scales right throughout the factory are tested periodically by the inspector of weights, and were only certified to a few weeks ago as being correct. Onr idea in writing you this letter is to see if anything can be done in altering the law'governing the inspection so as° to put this on a just and equitable basis, and whenever a box is sent out that the total weight is given consideration before any prosecutions are made. We understand that several factories have had this matter under consideration, and that Dr. C. J. Reakes has given some attention to this point, and perhaps if you brought tire matter under his notice something could be done.—Your faithfully, (Signed) E. RUNNBRSTEJJM, For Maoriland Dairy Con:papy, Ltd.