A trip to Flagstaff

The final outing of the Naturalists' Field Club for 1923 was held on Saturday last, when a good muster of members journeyed as the Expansion League's guests by motor bus. During the afternoon collecting and observing were mainly confined to the portion of the summit facing the Taieri Plain, above the water troughs and seats. The feature of the afternoon was the great wealth of orchids which were in bloom. Probably  no other locality in any other part of New Zealand can surpass Flagstaff in this respect at this time of the year. The most beautiful were the three Caladenias and the blue Thelymitra, noted here for apparently the first time, but only four or five flower spikes of this attractive plant were seen. The greenish Lyperanthus and the still greener Pterostylis were found in plenty. 

Local firm in a jam
Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M. yesterday Irvine and Stevenson were charged with selling a tin of apple and raspberry jam containing a colouring substance (red coal tar dye), the addition of which is prohibited under the Sales of Food and Drugs Act. Mr Adams, who prosecuted, said that as far back as 1915 the use of this colouring had received prominence, and the department had announced that it would prosecute those using it without warning. The defendant firm had been written to, and the manager acknowledged the letter, stating that written instructions against the use of the dye had been given. Mr Adams added that the colouring did not represent any great danger to the public. The Magistrate: Is there any danger? Mr Adams explained that in the jam the colouring was innocuous, but if it became associated with similar elements during a meal there might be a certain degree of danger. The principal aim of the department, however, was to prevent the public being imposed upon. The effect of the colouring was to give the public the impression that they were buying rich raspberry jam, when in reality they were getting jam that was largely apple. The defendants pleaded guilty and were represented by Mr Payne. Counsel said that the case had been put very fairly by Mr Adams. The senior partner of the firm was away just now, and the colouring was used without his knowledge. Mr Bayne emphasised that there was no danger to the public in the use of the dye. Its use was permitted in other articles of food and jams. 
The Magistrate said the prosecution had admitted that, for practical purposes the dye was not injurious to health. Therefore the addition of it really amounted to a fraud on the public, who were led to believe that they were getting an article they were not getting. The defendant would be convicted and fined £5, costs (£2 7s 6d), and solicitor's fee (£3. 3s).

The best thing — really!
After several months of experimenting, Mr W. Alloo, of this city, has perfected a bread-cutting machine which is capable of cutting and buttering bread at the rate of 120 slices per minute. A demonstration of the machine was given yesterday morning by the inventor and Mr W. Wilson,  at the latter’s engineering works, St. Andrew street, and the machine effected all that was claimed for it. The machine works on the rotary principle, the loaves (which are placed in containers) rotating one way and the knife in the opposite direction, and can cut in any thickness from an eighth to half an inch.  — ODT, 15.12.1923

 

Compiled by Peter Dowden