ENGLISH EGGS AND OTHERS.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Your correspondent's comments upon the article in your issue of July 20th call for a few remarks from myself. While recognising that the competition of desirable French and Danish eggs might prove a stimulus to our home producers, I cannot think that the means justify the end. . Undoubtedly the marking of these eggs would be an excellent advertisement, and, while supplies were plentiful, tend to keep down the price of the English egg, with which in many cases they would prove formidable competitors. Having regard to the great work that is being done to improve the marketing of the British produce by such societies as the National Poultry Organisation and the Irish Co-operative, and the great improvement that is already taking place, it hardly . seems reasonable to put a new difficulty before those who are engaged in this praiseworthy object. Mr. Jukes , —although a prominent member of the Poultry Club- ' admits that be looks upon the branding of foreign . eggs as a measure for the protection of the consumer, though the agitation has been started • in the interests of the producers. But even the consumer may find marking undesirable. Foreign eggs arrive in shiploads ; they are packed in cases containing five layers of eggs separated by straw only. Nobody but an eipert could repack those cases after any but the top layers had been inspected, and it is hardly likely the Customs could make any very exhaustive inspection, so that there is at once the danger that un- marked eggs will be sold as British. But why should a consumer ask for protection against the substitution of , foreign for British eggs when as regards nearly every other article of consumption he is liable to the same , fraud? If eggs are to be specially protected, why not mutton and beef ? The remedy for the evil is the production of better British eggs by improved methods of marketing and . the exercise of greater vigilance on the part of the public. The societies mentioned are dealing with the former, and already steps are being taken with respect to the latter. Most of the comparatively small support the proposal has had comes from the Irish Co-operative Societies, who seem to have suffered considerably from the mixing of foreign eggs with the . native product. It is difficult to suggest why this is, except . that until recently Irish eggs had a very bad reputation, and such mixing could therefore have been carried out without , much fear of detection. But it is only during the last week that the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland has sent out for publication a statement that the inspectors of the Board have been making inquiries as to this mixing, which they find undoubtedly takes place, and the Board recommends that retailers insist on warranties being given. The giving of warranties, together with an active trade protection society, would do more good than any amount of marking of foreign eggs. And if this is not found to be sufficient, would it not be a more practical plan to mark the British egg, using code letters to indicate its origin and the date upon which it was laid? The National Poultry Organisa- tion Society have adopted this plan, with a result that there is a very large demand for their branded eggs; so much so, that they could have disposed of thirty-five thoueaud more eggs ,a few weeks ago if their depots could only have supplied them. The proposal to mark foreign eggs in the present condition of the English trade is most inopportune, while it would seem also to be unreasonable and impraeticable.—I am, Sir, &c., B. W. HOENE; Vice-President of the Utility Poultry Club. 49 Gloucester Gardens, Hyde Park, W.
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