8 July, 1907.] Dairy Produce Export Trade. 39/ 



133 tons last season. The shippers in most instances unboxed the butter, 

 and spread another half-pound or one pound as required on the bottom of 

 the lump. Although the mere fact of this being insisted upon is tending 

 tc minimize the prevalence of this practice, sooner or later, probably very 

 soon, action will be taken to effectually preclude the use of a false trade 

 description. 



The latest report at mv command showing the composition of New 

 Zealand butter for 1,903, gives the average moisture contents at 10.33 P^"^ 

 cent., or 3I per cent, less than for Victorian export butter. I am in- 

 formed New Zealand's percentage is now up to ii|- per cent., or nearly 

 2^ per cent. less. This would account for almost the whole of the dis- 

 parity in prices. 



Composition of Exhibition Butter. 



The average composition of 139 samples of butter exhibited at the 

 recent A.N. A. Exhibition was as follows : — 



Fat ... ... 84.286 per cent. Highest per cent, fat in any one sample... 90.22 



Moisture ... 12.791 per cent. Lowest ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 81.15 



Curd ... .742 per cent. Highest ,, ,, moisture ,, ,, 16.0 



Salt ... ... 1-378 per cent. Lowest ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 8.0 



Boric acid ... .188 per cent. Highest ,, ,, curd ,, ,, 1.15 



Lowest ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 0.30 



Total ... 99-685 per cent. Highest ,, ,, salt ,, ,, 3-15 



■ Lowest ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, 0.22 



Highest ,, ,, boric acid ,, ,, 0.39 



Lowest ,, ,, ,, ,, ,, nil 



Brand Mutilation. 



Although in framing the Commerce Regulations it was sought to cover 

 all undesirable practices, and have the trade properly and honorably con- 

 ducted there is still one thing that does not meet with my support and 

 that is the removal and substitution of other brands, a practice not un- 

 common. A factory forwards some butter for sale on the local market 

 bearing the same brands as for export. Some of it is bought by ex- 

 porters, the original brands scraped off, and their own brand put on the 

 package. All that the regulations stipulate is that the words " Pure 

 Creamery butter " or other description should be indelibly impressed on 

 the box together with the name of the exporter or his registered trade 

 mark, .so no exception can be taken in the meantime. No matter how well 

 the planing is done, the boxes bear a mutilated appearance and the sub- 

 sequent branding cannot be as well done as in a press. Even though in 

 most cases the alteration is made from good motives, it is possible by 

 this means to build up a reputation for a brand that may be afterwards 

 utilized for exploiting purposes. Another undesirable feature is that there 

 is no connexion between the manufacturer and the product to its ultimate 

 destination, so that he is denied the credit due to him if it is of superior 

 quality and shirks the odium attaching to that of a low standard. The 

 best way out of the difficultv is for separate brands to be used on butter 

 marketed locally from that exported ; then, when an exporter purchases 

 on the local market he can ship it abroad without bringing it into compe- 

 tition with that from the same factory forwarded direct for export. I 

 recognise that many factories have bv this time a good- will and it may 

 mean a temporary loss for them to change their local brands, but if the 

 qualitv is all right no loss whatever may be encountered. 



