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149
"checked to some extent by the imposition of fines in cases where the
"firms manufacturing it were proceeded against under the Sale of Foods
"and Drugs Acts, for selling butter containing an excessive amount of
"water.
"For some reason or other this mixture appealed to a certain section
"of the community that did not know butter when they saw it, and who
"were readily imposed upon by cleverly worded advertisements. This
"stuff is now sold as" milk-blended butter," a title cleverly designed to
"mislead. It is further placed in a wrapper, bearing an artfully worded
"declaration that purports to describe its real nature.
"This statement protects the manufacturer from prosecution, as it is
"a sufficient disclosure that the article is a mixture. It professes to be
"a "blend" of butter and milk, but the ordinary buyer can hardly be
"expected to know that the milk so added itself contains about 87 per
"cent. of water as a natural constituent.
"Nor do the public know that this " butter," as a result of such
"blending, when completed may contain as much as 28 per cent. of
"water.

"It was first placed on the market some seven years ago. If the
"recommendations contained in the Report of the Select Committee are
"adopted in any new legislation, the sale of this article under the
"description of butter will be prohibited."
From time to time measures have been introduced in Parliament for
remedying this state of things; the first Bill for dealing with "milk-blended
butter" being brought in, in 1902.
A second Bill was introduced in 1903, other Bills followed in 1904 and
1905, these being on the lines of the 1903 Bill as amended in Committee.