STATUTORY RULES.

1926. No. 66.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE CUSTOMS ACT 1901-1925 AND THE COMMERCE (TRADE DESCRIPTIONS) ACT 1905.

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Customs Act 1901-1925 and the Commerce (Trade Descriptions) Act 1905, to come into operation forthwith.

Dated this twenty-seventh day of May, 1926.

STONEHAVEN,

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

H. E. PRATTEN,

Minister of State for Trade and Customs.

Amendment of Commerce (General Exports) Regulations.

(Statutory Rules 1926, No. 22.)

1. Regulation 3 of the Commerce (General Exports) Regulations is amended by inserting after the definition of “Dried Grapes” the following definition:—

“‘Dry’, in relation to oranges, means that the proportion of juice extractable is less than 15 per cent. by weight of the whole orange.”

2. After regulation 48 the following regulations are inserted:—

Oranges.

Packing of oranges.

“48a. Oranges intended for export shall be packed in accordance with the following provisions:—

(a) The fruit shall be packed only in cases of the following dimensions:—

Provided that those dimensions may show a variation to the extent of not more than 10 per centum (that is, 5 per centum under or 5 per centum above) on the total cubic capacity of the case; and

C.6417.—Price 3d.

(b) The fruit shall be packed in clean, new cases constructed of well-seasoned softwood or hardwood that has been smoothly sawn or dressed in an approved manner, and, in the opinion of the Collector, sufficiently strong to withstand such handling as is ordinarily incidental to transport to destinations beyond the Commonwealth.

Grade standards for fresh oranges.

“48b. Oranges intended for export shall comply with the following provisions:—

(a) The outer layers or shown surfaces of the oranges shall be a true indication of the contents of each case;

(b) Each case shall contain one variety of orange only and the oranges shall be wrapped in paper of a quality approved by the Comptroller-General;

(c) The oranges in any case shall not vary in size by more than one-quarter of an inch, and no orange shall measure less than two and one-quarter inches in diameter from cheek to cheek. For the purposes of this paragraph—

‘Two and one-quarter inches’ shall include fruit of a size two and one-quarter inches or greater diameter, but less than two and a half inches;

‘Two and a half inches’ shall include fruit of a size two and a half inches or greater diameter but less than two and three-quarter inches;

‘Two and three-quarter inches’ shall include fruit of a size two and three-quarter inches or greater diameter but less than three inches;

‘Large’ shall include fruit of a size three inches or over in diameter.

(d) The oranges shall not be dry or immature but shall be of normal shape and appearance common to the variety, sound and of reasonably even colour and shall be packed in either of three grades, namely, ‘Special’, ‘Standard’, or ‘Plain’;

(e) Oranges described as ‘ Special’ shall consist of oranges complying with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this regulation and in addition shall be mainly free from disfigurements such as caused by scars, scratches of the skin, excessive navel segments, cavities, punctures and blemishes due to any insect or fungus pest, such disfigurements not to exceed 5 per cent. of the total fruits in the case and of this 5 per cent. not more than 10 per cent. of the total surface area shall be so disfigured;

(f) Oranges described as ‘Standard’ shall consist of oranges complying with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this regulation, but disfigurements such as caused by scars, scratches of the skin, excessive navel segments, cavities, punctures and blemishes due to any fungus or insect pest may be allowed to the extent of 10 per cent. of the total surface area:

(g) Oranges described as ‘Plain’ shall consist of oranges complying with the requirements of paragraph (d) of this regulation, but disfigurements such as caused by scars, scratches of the skin, excessive navel segments, cavities, punctures and blemishes due to any fungus or insect pest may be allowed to the extent of 25 per cent. of the total surface area; and

(h) In order to ascertain the proportion of juice extractable from an orange, the halves of a freshly divided orange shall be rotated upon a conical glass lemon-squeezer under hand pressure only. The resultant juice shall be strained through a strainer of not less than thirty meshes to the lineal inch.

3. After regulation 61 the following new regulation is inserted:—

“61. (1) In the case of fresh fruit being oranges, the trade description shall appear on one end of each case and shall set out in letters or figures of not less than one-quarter of an inch in height, if on printed paper labels, and not less than three-quarters of an inch if stencilled on the cases:—

(a) The variety number and size of the oranges contained in each case and whether the oranges are—

‘Special’;

‘Standard’; or

‘Plain’;

(b) In letters of not less than one-half inch in height on one end of the package, the grower’s name (or registered brand) or in the case of a firm or corporation the firm or corporate name (or registered brand)”.

4. Regulation 68 is amended by omitting the words “or pears” and inserting in their stead the words “,pears or oranges”.

5. Regulation 103 is amended by inserting after the words “Bushel case “the following item:—

Printed and Published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by H. J. Green Government Printer for the State of Victoria.