ADULTERATION OF BUTTER 295 



1903. 



A stronger Bill was introduced this year which included 

 some of the proposals put forward as amendments in 1902, 

 but the much-regretted death of Mr. Hanbury delayed its 

 progress, and though it passed through Committee, and at 

 that stage was approved by the Council, it got no further. 



In 1904 and 1905 the Bill was re -introduced, but the 

 Government gave no opportunity for its progress. Mean- 

 while, public opinion was growing, and agriculturists, grocers' 

 associations and those Colonies which sent pure butter to 

 this country were all united in demanding the attention of 

 Parliament. The Government, however, were impervious to 

 all appeals, and went out of office at the end of 1905, having 

 made no sincere attempt to deal with this question since 

 Mr. Hanbury 's death. 



19O6. 



The Council in February passed a resolution calling the 

 attention of the new Government to the adulteration of butter 

 in various ways, and on 5th March a Select Committee was 

 appointed to consider what further legislation was required. 

 The Council sent Dr. Bernard Dyer as their witness to give 

 evidence on the lines of a report from the Dairy Products 

 Committee, adopted by the Council on 3rd April. 



The Select Committee reported in the autumn, and in 

 November the Council adopted a further report from their 

 Committee stating that they were in accord with the recom- 

 mendations of the Select Committee. 



In 1907 the Butter and Margarine Act was passed. The 

 measure was very generally approved by the Council as the 

 Bill emerged from Committee, and most, though not quite 

 all, of the amendments suggested by the Council were incor- 

 porated in it. Events have proved that; on the whole this 

 Act has been more effective than any previous measure 

 dealing with butter adulteration, but its effectiveness is 

 largely due to the energy and common sense displayed by the 

 officers of the Board of Agriculture who have to administer 

 it. Every credit must be given, however, to Sir Edward 



