20632. Misbranding of butter.   V.  S.  v. Western  meat  Co.   Flea  of guilty.
Fine, $200.     (F. & D. no. 29343.    I. S. no. 32722.)
This case was based on a shipment of print butter, sample cartons of which 
were found to contain less than 1 pound, the declared weight.
At the November 1932 term of court, the United States attorney for the 
Northern District of California, acting upon a report by the Secretary of Agri- 
culture, filed in the District Court of the United States an information against 
the Western Meat Co., a corporation, San Francisco, Calif., alleging shipment 
by said company, in violation of the Food and Drugs Act, as amended, on or 
about March 16, 1932, from the State of California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, of a 
quantity of butter that was misbranded. The article was labeled in part: 
"' Fort Sutter' Brand Butter * * * Net Weight 1 Lb. Distributed by 
Western Meat Co."
It was alleged in the information that the article was misbranded in that 
the statement " Net Weight 1 Lb.", borne on the cartons, was false and mis- 
leading, and for the further reason that the article was labeled as aforesaid 
so as to deceive and mislead the purchaser, since each of a large number of 
the said cartons contained less than 1 pound of the article. Misbranding was 
alleged for the further reason that the article was food in package form and 
the quantity of the contents was not plainly and conspicuously marked on the 
outside of the packages, since the statement made was incorrect.
On January 6, 1933, a plea of guilty to the information was entered on 
behalf of the defendant company, and the court imposed a fine of $200.
R. G. TUGWELL, Acting Secretary of Agriculture.