Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-03-28

ALBANY "a. W despatch, March 2il
Tho senate committee on public health
which has been investigating the authorizations
OF food, presented It's report to-day. The
committee has discovered alarming wholesale
authorizations Of food which arc dangerous to
the consumer and aro depreciating property
in the rural districts. Adulteration Of butter
by tallow oil, bone oil and lard oil was found
in almost every town and city in the state, and
TO an amount equaing half the production of
the natural article. The imitation is often so
disguised that IL can bo detected only by
chemical analysis. Out Of 30 samples of al.
legged butter purchased by tho committee in
New York, only 10 wero genuine. No labels
to distinguish the pure from the bogus butter
are displayed as required by the existing law.
Bogus butter is largely purchased by saloons,
boarding. houses, and socond-class hotels.
The poorer qualities of bogus butter sell for
from 20 to 80 cents to laboring men, and the
better grades at 40 TO 45 cents. The cost of
manufacture ranges from - to IS cents, the
average being II cents. The manufacture in
this state is chiefly carried on in New York
end Brooklyn, several concerns manufactur-
ing over 5000, 600 pounds each out of fats
brought from the west from France, and
from Italy. The bulk Of bogus butter is
manufactured in the west, and sold in New
York to the detriment of the states dairy in
terests. Many dairy farmers have been driv-
on out of business in consequence. The loss
to the state is estimated at from 5000, 600
to SO, 900, 900 yearly. Tho committee osti-
mates that 40, 600, 600 pounds of the product
are sold annually in the state, and the illogit-
innate business is breaking our export trade.
The effect Of the deception in the trade is
detrimental to business morals Butterine
can be sold at Is cents less than natural but
ter. The committee quotes extensively from
the evidence obtained, to show the evil moral
criminal and sanitary effects of adulteration
The use of nitric and sulphuric acids in de-
odorizing aduterated butter is particularly
condemned. The committee recommends the
total prohibition, after given time, of the
manufacture of oleomargarne or imitation
butter. The living COW, assert the commit
tee, cannot compete with the dead hog. They
also find that 200,0 600 out of the 500, 600
quarts of milk furnished New York daily in
1882 were water or skim-milk The commit
tee recommend the appointment of state
inspector of milk, and also recommend that
the officials to be chosen to enforce anti-adul-
teration laws be selected from and represent
dairy interests.
Accompanying the report was q bill by the
committee. 1t prohibits, under penalty of
$500 fine or six months imprisonment, the
sale of adulterated milk, the keeping of cows
for the production Of milk in an unhealthy
condition, and the diluting of the milk with
water. 1t provides that every manufacturer
of butter shall brand his name and tho weight
of the butter on the package. Cans for the
sale of milk shall be stamped with the name
of the county where the milk is produced,
unless sold exclusively in the country. A
penalty of from $500 to $1,000 aud imprison-
ment for one year is imposed on the sale or
manufacture of bogus butter or cheese Tho
state dairymen's association is appointed
commission TO enforce tho provisions of the
bill, and $50, 600 is appropriated for the pur-
pose.