I move:—
In sub-section (1) (c) to insert after the word " marked " in line 28, the words " in the prescribed manner."
SECTION 17.
(1) The following regulations shall apply to all premises registered in the register of manufacturing exporters, that is to say—
(a) butter containing water in excess of sixteen per cent. shall not be packed for export, or exported, or consigned for export, in or from the premises;
(b) butter containing water in excess of sixteen per cent. shall not be packed for sale, or sold, or offered or consigned for sale on or from the premises, except to a butter factory in Saorstát Eireann;
(c) all butter exported from the premises and also every package or wrapper in which such butter is packed shall before it leaves the premises be marked with the marks (if any) prescribed by regulations made under this Act;
(d) all butter packed on the premises shall be packed only in such manner and in such packages or wrappers as shall be prescribed by regulations made under this Act.
Amendment put and agreed to.
May I ask a question as regards Clause (d)? Does that imply that the packages and wrappers are to be dictated to the butter merchants under the Act? Does it imply that the butter merchants are not permitted to pack their blend of butter in their own packages as desired by the customers in England who may want their consignments packed in a certain shape?
Of course not. The regulations in regard to packing will be in regard to abuses in the packing.
Clause (b) states—" butter containing water in excess of sixteen per cent. shall not be packed for export, or exported, or consigned for export, in or from the premises." Does that mean that if they want to sell it to a confectionery—to Jacob's Biscuit Factory, for instance, or to a margarine factory—that they cannot do so; that it must be sold to a butter factory in Saorstát Eireann? Oleo has only 12 per cent. of butter. And why should they not take butter containing 18 or 20 per cent. of water in a margarine factory where they have oleo containing only 12 per cent. of butter? If this butter would suit a confectioner I do not see why they could not sell it to such a confectioner.
It raises the question as to whether premises registered for export should be allowed to sell such butter or whether they should not sell it from different premises.
It is only for sale in the Saorstát. It is not to be exported.
The section applies to the premises of manufacturing exporters.
We do not allow butter containing over 16 per cent. of water except on the premises of manufacturing exporters. It was thought well to prevent a non-manufacturing exporter keeping butter containing more than 60 per cent. on his premises. The section that gives effect to that has already been passed. It is a question as to whether a non-manufacturing exporter should or should not be allowed to bring such butter on to his premises, whether it would be too great a hardship to force a man like that who was doing not only an export business but a wholesale business to have different premises. That is a question for consideration.
The clause would not prevent people like Jacob's from buying butter. I take it that they would not be called manufacturing exporters because they manufacture biscuits with butter in them.
I was inclined to think that the Clause as it stands was a little too drastic.
Question: " That Section 17, as amended, stand part of the Bill "—put and agreed to.