Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1884-05-14
Bogus Butter.

Bogus Butter.
A rare example of legislative clap
trap is witnessed in the passage by
the New York Senate of law to pro-
hibit, under heavy penalties, the man.
ufacture and sale of substitutes for
butter. This, of course, would be very
pleasing to the New York Grangers
if it could only be carried into effect.
There is already law in New York,
as we'll as in many other States, which
if vigorously enforced, would protect
consumers and producers alike from
the extensive sales of the fraudulent
substitutes for butter. This law re-
quires that every package containing
oleomargarine or other similar prepar-
tions shall be plainly marked, and pro.
vides for the punishment of persons
making fraudulent sales Of the same
for butter. As this law has been per-
mitted to fall into contempt, the New
York Senate proposes one still more
impracticable, and which could be en-.
forced only by gross violation of per-
sonal rights.
The power of the State to prohibit
the sale of these preparations, if neces.
sary for the protection of the public
health, may not be questioned. But
it has been proved that oleomsrgsrine,
butterine and the rest of these substi-
tutes for butter are not more harmful
to the consumers than the lard and
tallow of which they are made. These
chemical compounds may be of great
commercial value for other uses be-
sides their substitution for butter.
What right, then, has the State to
prevent their their manufacture and
sale? The wrong to the consumer is
done only when they are passed on
him for what they IRE not But it is
very easy to prevent this species of
fraud without so violent measure as
the prohibition and sale of commodi-
ties that are not hurtful to the public
health.
There is no doubt that the farmers
in New York, as well as in Pennsylva-
MIA, have suffered much by the COM
petition Of this substitute for dairy
butter, but it ia no business of the
State to protect its citizens from CON-
petition as long ss it is not associated
with fraud. 1t appears from the testi.
mony of good many witnesses that
this artificial butter is often found to
be better and more palatable than the
the dairy butter with which it com.
petes. The State has just as much
right to prohibit the making of dairy
butter as to prohibit the manufacture
and sale of oleomargarine. The ab.
surdity would be no greater or less in
the one case than in the other. The
New York bill only shows to what
ridiculous lengths lawmaking can be
carried in this land of the free and
home of the brave.
AS has been repeatedly shown,
there is in most of the States, New
York and Pennsylvania among the
rest, enough law to punish the sale of
adulterations of food. But
the machinery for the enforcement of
the law is what the State Legislatures
take especial pains not to provide. The
reason is that the adulterators Of food
and drink are too powerful an element
in the State for the lawmakers to
offend In order, then, to cover up
the cowardice Of the Legislature, or
perhaps to pinch manufacturers of
oleomargarine, parade is made of such
bills as this of the New York Senate.
There can hardly be Granger in New
York 80 stupid as not to be aware of
the utter futility of measure like this.
But let it be proposed to establish, in
connection with the police system,
chemical laboratories in New York
city and in several other cities of the
State for the detection Of frauds in
food and there will be none of the
for its passage that Is wit
messed in regard to this oleomsrgarine
bill in the New York Senate. 1t is as
much the duty Of the State to establish |
these chemical laboratories for the de-
lection of fraud In food as to maintain |
police for protecting the property Of
citizens from pickpockets and burglars.
Yet as this is the only method for put |
ting an end to food sdulterations 1t is
evsded. Some of the Grang-
ers who are now urging the Now
York Legislature to prohibit the man
ufacture Of oleomargsrine would be
loud in their protests against such an |
invasion of the rights of the citizens as
the establishment Of laboratories for |
the detection of fraud in butter, cheese
and other commodities. But these |
thoroughly manned by |
and conscientious chemists,
are the only police force that can hunt |
down the fraudulent adultsrstions of
the food of the public.