Battle Proceeding in Sydney.
p. 48 · Read in the full issue
Blow At Copra.
THERE has been, quite a battle waged in Sydney between the Meadowlea Margarine Company and Mr. F.
Wallin (Burns, Philp and Co., Ltd.) on the one side, and, on the other, the State Minister for Agriculture, who has weakly permitted himself to be made the tool of powerful dairying interests.
Margarine—of which coconut oil is an important ingredient—is now made with so much skill that it is almost indistinguishable from cheap butter; and in these hard times many people eat margarine. This did not suit the N.S.W. butter interests, and they put pressure on the Government. The Minister thereupon issued regulations under the Dairy Industry Act, provid ing that margarine must be coloured pink—or some such absurd colour — and that “it must have a readily appreciable flavour of coconut oil.’’
This meant, of course, that margarine would be unsaleable. It was a monstrous preversion of the powers given to the Minister under the Act, and there was immediately an outcry.
Highest legal opinion was taken, and it was found that the Minister had over-reached himself. The interests concerned thereupon proceeded to sell margarine as usual, and defied the authorities to do their worst. The State authorities blustered for a while, but uselessly, and then collapsed.
The next step was that the same Minister brought into the State Par liament an amendment of the Act, to give him the power to suppress margarine. It is still before Parlia ment, being wrangled over.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wallin and the proprietor of the Meadowlea Company are carrying on a vigorous press campaign against the iniquitous plan; and Mr. Wallin has quoted figures to show what the copra trade is worth to Australia, and has reminded the politician-ridden nation that sim ilarly chuckle-headed interference with Islands industries in the past has resulted in Australia losing millions and millions of pounds worth of Pacific trade.
Mr H. W. Simmonds, entomologist of the Fiji Agricultural Department, is ex pected to pay a visit to Samoa this month. He intends to investigate the rhinocerous beetle, the canker of the cocoa tree, and banana diseases, and it is hoped that his research work will benefit Samoan planters appreciably.