New-York tribune., 1882-02-14
THE SPURIOUS BUTTER TRADE.


II, ,su,xcrov Feb 13-Considerable interest is
,o,, NV Copgressmen in efforts to secure the en-
actment of some law to prevent the sale and expor-
,ot,op of ocomargarine, except under its own
r,oner name. Members who represent districts
which have large dairy interests especially ac-
five and they declare that the expectation of mia-
t,on bntter with 10 marks to distinguish it from
tbe renuine article has already worked vast injury
10 American dairy products in European markets
Several bills have ALREADY been introduced in the
House designed to prevent the sale of oleomarga-
rine as genuine butter. Two of them provide Tor
inspectors of dairy products, and the stamping OF
olromargarine with conspicuous marks. But the
difficulty about the enforcement of such law APP
pears to be that experts are unable TO distn-
Cuish the imitation from the genuine article. An
other bill, now before the Ways and Means
Committee, seeks to impose stamp tax Of 10 cents
a pound on every package of oeomargarne, or other
compound made in lmi' 'ation of butter and also
tax on every manufacturer thereof.
Several days ago the committee gave q hearing
TO Congressman Jacobs and Thomas, who made ar
c1lmens In support of this measure Colonel Jacobs
presented some interesting statistics, drawn from the
report of DR.. Fenner to the New-York Legislature,
and which, 1t is understood, produced an evident
impression upon the members of the commit
tee He called attention to the fact
that the money value of the annual dairy
product exceeds that of the wheat crop or the
corn crop and is greater than that of cotton and
wool combined, and is between 500, 100000 and
100000. 600 From 100000 to 5000, 600 of the
American people interested in this industry and
the capital invested il it aggregates from
$1,000 600 600 to So 000, 100000. CJlonel Jacobs
described the patent process by which Oleomar-
garine butterine, etc, are made. He said that I'M
f,1,o, r.ry.n lhn
little headway but within the last three years it has
increased with wonderful rapidity. and Mr.. Jacobs
estimates that the annual manufacture in New
York CITY and State alone amounts to 2000O,OOO
roursls One-ffth as much as the entire annual
dairy product of the State. He estimates the yearly
loss TO the dairy interest at $4,000 to $20G,O00
The possibilities of development for OleOmargarine
manufacture very great, and Mr. Jacobs com
uutes that in the City and State of NewYOrk alone
10000 ,OOO pounds of bogus butter or OleOmar-
carine can be made in a single year The entire but
ter product of the State for the year 1875 was
Ill 11O1S,413 pounds, $50 that the dairy business"
said Mr.. Jacobs, "seems to be in danger of extinc
ton. unless relief is afforded by legislation.
All the powers of the State Legislature
have been exhausted in Intellectual legislation
The very great difficulty in distinguishing the imi-
fation from the genuine has enabled the retail deal
er to sell imitation which costs about nine cents
pound for twenty-five TO forty cents.
Mr. jacobs concluded as follows: " Last winter
hill passed the New-YOrk Legislature. prohibiting
the use of colOring matter in the manufacture of
imitation butter; this would have been eficctual,
but the Governor vetoed the bill upon the ground
that 1t was in violation of the privileges granted
nnder the patent laws OF the United States so that
the taxing power of Congress is invoked TO protect
this great dairy interest Government
stam9 upon every package Of imitation butter which
leaves the factory would answer twOfold purpose,
first the tax would tend to bring the spurious aTti
Gle into fair competition with the genuine, and,
second, the Government stamp upon every package
offered for sale would moro ehectually deter the
dealer from attempting 10 palm oil the spurious for
the genuine He would no more attempt TO Iamper
with or remove it than lie would 80 rifle United
States mail bag OF counterfeit the coin OF the Gov