T920.] 



Official Notices and Circulars. 



1041 



The Ministry of Food issued the following announcement to the 

 Press on 9th January : — 



The Food Controller, with the concurrence 

 De-Control of Dairy of the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries 

 Produce. and the Secretary for Scotland, has decided 



to discontinue, as from 31st January, various 

 measures of control at present exercised over milk products. 



Milk. — The Milk (Winter Prices) Order, 191 9,* will be revoked as 

 far as it pertains to prices, and thereafter milk may be bought or sold, 

 \v'hether by wholesale or retail, free from the restrictions on price im- 

 posed by the Order. Prices will be determined in the normal way by 

 the free operation of supply and demand. The clauses (10), (11), (12), 

 prohibiting the addition to milk of colouring matter or water, the 

 reconstitution of milk, the use, without authority, of bottles or cans 

 belonging to other persons, and the clauses (14) and (15) giving power 

 to Food Committees, subject to the consent of the Food Controller, to 

 buy and sell milk, to make arrangements for its distribution and to give 

 directions for securing the purity and cleanliness and wholesomeness of 

 milk, will remain in force. No alteration will be made in the Milk 

 (Registration of Dealers) Order, 1918,1 which prohibits retailers and 

 wholesalers of milK carrying on business without a licence, but the 

 retention of this Order will not interfere with the formation of co-opera- 

 tive depots under proper supervision. An Order will be issued, to take 

 effect on ist February, prohibiting the use of the terms " Grade A " 

 or " Grade B " in connection with the sale of milk, except under licence 

 by the Ministr^^ of Food. 



Cheese. — Home-produced cheese manufactured after 31st January, 

 1920, will not be purchased by the Ministry for the Pool, but will be 

 free to find its natural market without restriction of price. The 

 Ministry is purchasing hard home cheese, made during the month of 

 January, 1920, and delivered to the Pool on or before February 29th, 

 1920, under the same terms and conditions as were in force in respect 

 of the December make of such cheese. J The Ministry will continue to 

 distribute the home cheese so purchased through the Home Cheese 

 Distribution Scheme at controlled prices until further order. 



Butter. — Home-produced butter will, as from 31st January, 1920, 

 be freed from the existing control over prices, but the Ministry will 

 continue to provide, through the Butter Distribution Scheme, the 

 guaranteed ration of Government butter, i.e., butter purchased and 

 imported by the Ministry of Food, at a controlled retail price to all 

 persons who have registered their ration card with a retailer of Govern- 

 ment butter. Supplies of Government butter will also be continued 

 to establishments under the existing procedure. 



Cream. — The Cream Order, 191 8, will be revoked as from 31st 

 January, 1920, after v. hich date cream may be made, sold, and purchased 

 free from any restrictions. 



Condensed Milk. — The maximum retail prices of condensed milk 

 will be suspended as from 31st January, 1920. 



In giving effect to these decisions the Food Controller must, of course, 

 retain power in case of emergency to deal with any unforeseen difficulties 

 which may arise. 



* See this Journal, September, 1919. p. 650. 

 t ,, April, 1918, p. 110. 



X ,, below. 



4 A 



