"Cheap” Copra

[?] e Margarine—Butter War

manufacturers State "Cheap” Copra Little To Do With Price

UEENSLAND'S Minister of Agriculture, H. H. Collins, seems to 'e said the right thing in the wrong

:e, when in early September he

ke in defence of margarine pro ers.

Ir. Collins said that people who w Australian products for mar ine ingredients were just as en ;d to sell their products as were ter producers. His statement was ie at a meeting celebrating the i Anniversary of the Dayboro operative Dairy Association —and r as not given a popular reception the Queensland butter producers » have had more to say than ners in other States about the ortation of coconut oil from “low e countries” (meaning New nea) for use in producing ;ers competitor, margarine, r. Collins suggested that “black ur-produced” copra played a 11 part in Australian margarine, this was met with a counter t from the Queensland dairy ’s organisation on the following when it was claimed that a nt analysis of five brands of garine on sale in Queensland shown 50 to 70 per cent, coco oil. ley may have been right—or may have been wrong. In ies amongst the leading NSW marine producers indicate that percentage of vegetable oil used ;s according to where the marine is to be sold—that is, her in cool or hot climates; and unpetition with butter or other -1 NSW firms use high percent of animal oils where the pro is to be sold in a cool climate, reason being that vegetable oils a margarine of poor plasticity undesirable hardness. Animal give a type of margarine more iy approaching butter in con icy and hardness. On the hand, for the export trade to cal countries large proportions oconut oil are used, as its ng properties are far better it provides a margarine pro which does not become too is therefore true to say that, far as margarine for sale in alia is concerned, far more al fats are being used than ut and other vegetable fats ompetitive reasons if for no • Manufacturers ask why they d use high-priced coconut oil tallow is so much cheaper.

Australian State quotas for table margarine are based on the quantities manufactured in the base year 1938-39. After the war no new licenses were issued, but it is alleged that two New South Wales firms defied this ruling by entering Vu de years ago, and that they now supply half to twothirds of Queensland’s total requirements. Their activities are to be tested m the High Court shortly.

All firms agree, however, that the existing quota figures for the various states are actually in excess of the market demands, which are only 10 pei cent, of the total edible-fat consumption of Australia.

Probably 90 per cent, of Australian margarine is manufactured m Sydney; these firms have branch distribution offices in the other

Cost of margarine in NSW butter P6r b aS against 4/2 for Lieut.-Col. J. P. Love and Master ¥tS oant A T - Jones - Jr - of the United States Army, arrived in Honiara, BSI, by air on August 2 from Hono lulu, to take back the remains of two American servicemen who were killed on the Island during the last war Reports that the remains found near Rove Rifle Range were also tnose of American Servicemen were investigated and found to be incorrect An American Army Graves Registration Unit was based m Honiara from 1947 till early 1948 making an extensive search for the bodies of American servicemen many of which were found and shipped back to the United States for re-burial.