§ MR. MOORE (Antrim, N.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Agriculture if his attention has been drawn to the decision of the English King's Bench Division affirming the conviction of Messrs, Pearks, Gunstone and Co., trading as Pearkes' Stores, for selling butter containing a large percentage of milk or water artificially introduced; and seeing that frequent complaints against this practice on the part of this firm have been made, can he state what steps the Board of Agriculture propose to take to prevent a continuance of the offence; is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the same firm was yesterday, at Wolverhampton fined £36 for an identical offence?
§ *THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. HANBURY, Preston)Yes. Until the local authorities have failed to carry out the duty imposed upon them of prosecuting in cases of this kind, and have been declared in default, the Board of Agriculture cannot itself take proceedings. If the local authorities should fail in their duty as I do not think is probable, the Board will not hesitate to undertake it for them. Meanwhile our inspectors will communicate with the local authority in all places and they are numerous, when we know that there are branches of this or other firms selling a similar product, advising them of the legal decision just given, and of the necessity for giving effect to it.