New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-12-05
FRAUDS IN BUTTER.

ACTION OF THE BUTTER TRADE IN REGARD TO THE
SALE OF oLEOMARGARINE.
The merchants of New-lork engaged in the but
ter trade are at present greatly annoyed at the
ufacture and sale of large quantities Of oeomarga-
rine bull butter, they call it, the sales OF
which. they claim. are effected only by evasion OF
direct violation of law. At large meeting of the
trade. recently held at the American Exchange a
committee was appointed TO take immediate action
to investigate and prosecute all offenders. TRlB-
UyE reporter recently talked with several members
of prominent firms to discover how much of this
olcomargarne sold in the local markets. how it is
sold. and how its sale affects the butter trade.
T. II. Newman. Of Mackenzie. Newman 81 Co.,
No. 90 Warren-st., said that he believed that from
10000 to L.. 600 packages sold each week. A
package contains from fifty TO sixty pounds. lie
did not claim that the manufacturers violate the
law, but that they only make felnt of obeying II,
by branding packages with very small and hardly
discoverable letters. The retail dealers. however,
make no prctence of Obeying the law, he says, and
sell oleomargarne as genuine butter.
f. NJ. Scaver, who is the secretary of the Butter
and Cheese Exchange said the facts now were
about the same as they were two years ago. when
dealers III oeomargarlne were prosecuted and fined.
commands every dealer III the article to brand every
package with the plainly printed or written word
OleOmarga1ine" This Is not done, aud butter
dealers propose to have the law obeyed.
W. Winsor. of y. j. Hare * Co., No. 300 Wash
nglOll-Si., spoke with much feeling u on the sub
| jet, saying have talked to-day with several
persons who say their sales have recently fallen of
! 90 pei cent or more. Our own sales have fallen
away fully One-hall and can attribute il to moth
ing except the tremendous sales of OeOmarganne
made fraudulently. Understand that we do NOT, as
could not, object TO the legal sale of this sab
stance. But 10 not believe there is Il retail dealer
to be found who sells the stuff under its proper
name They all palm il off as dairy butter. / sup
pose fully One-thrd OF all the dealers IN New York
| and Brooklyn sell olcOmargaInc. The resolutions
adopted at our recent meeting mean war;
ID. l.. MantOn, If ID. l.. Manton & Co., No. 76
Broad-st., when asked how much oleOmargarne
was sold III Ncw-iorll and Brooklyn, ana how he
accounted for its popularity with dealers, said "
believe fully One-half the retail dealers ia butter
sell the article, and that not more than per cent
o. them let their customers know what they are
buying. Probably much as 1000 packages are
sold each day. Dealers prefer Oeomargarlne be-
cause il keeps sweet"
G.. =. Hart, of g. 5. Hart & Co.. No. 80 Pearl-st.
laid special sres upon the injury the large fraudu
lent sale OF oleOmarGarIne works to the dairy inter
esis of the country. In the last three or four
years." he said. " believe that this imitation but
ter has caused the farmers to lose millions of dol
lars and il has made Tor the butter trade infinite
trouble. We could afford 10 pay the farmers a good
price If II not for this illegal trade, for We
could hold the market steady. The butter trade
could well afford to pay the oleOmargarine men
money not 10 manufacture than they have 80 far
made from their business"