News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-11-18
OIeomargarine.

The federal law, imposing a tax
upon oleomargarine, has been in OPP
Grafton since November /, and the
internal revenue authorities report
themselves surprised at the result,
the amount received far exceeding
their expectations. They estimate
the. sum to be received from this
source during the remaining months
of the fiscal year from 81, 100000 to
81 100000. This may prove sur
prising to revenue officials, but it
ought not greatly to astonish others
who have the slightest familiarity with
the trade in oleomargarine. The
quantity sold is enormous, as any
we'll informed and honest Wholesale
dealer will admit. But there are
very few of the retailers who will vol
UNFAIRLY acknowledge that they keep
and sell the stuff, and the returns for
licenses thus far in no sense accurate
" gauges the volume of the traffic.
There are also several respects in
which the law itself is defective as a
preventative of fraud in making and
selling oleomargarine, and some of
them are indicated in a Washington
dispatch to the New York EUening
POST
1.-The internal revenue officials are
convinced that the farmers and dairy
men were mistaken in the theory
which underles the law-that the tax
of the government would have the eff
feet to reduce the consumption of i'm
itation butter. On the contrary, the
indications are that the stamp, al
though it says nothing of the kind, is
to be interpreted by the consumers
and the trade as a guarantee on the
a of the government that the pro-
duct to winch IL Is attached is pure,
and has the governments sanction.
The internal revenue stamp, of course,
means nothing of the sort, and only
tells the public that the government
has the right at any time to discover
whether, or not the article is pure, and
that the manufacturers of oleomarga-
rine who violate the law, are, of
course, subject to the penalties. The
information which the bureau has re-
ceived from its officials in various
parts Of the country, thus far, point
to a very considerable increase of
consumption, instead Of the reverse,
so that it is just possible that the
market for genuine butter has been
injured by law which gives a stand
ing character and government sane
ton to the imitation butter which it
did not have before. The internal
revenue was authorized under the law
to appoint a microscopic and chem
list. Both these scientists have been
appointed, and they have already
been appointed to immediate duty.
The internal revenue officials in Geor
gia have seized several packages of
oleomargarine, under suspicion that
it was made in violation of the law,
and a number of samples have been
sent here in tin cans and are now
being analysed. The services of an
expert are not needed to decide
that these particular samples are not
wholesome food products, whatever
the chemical analysis may show, for
they are so rank that they fairly smell
to heaven st. Louis dealers in
oleomargarine are also liable to have
some trouble from the internal rev.
enue officials, because some of them
have not readily complied with the
section of the law which requires them
to put oleomargarine in wooden casks,
instead of tin receptacles."
1t seems to be tolerably certain that
the law in its present form is not like
" to prove effective as a check upon
one of the most gigantic frauds of
the day-the making of villainous
compound and passing it off as a
pure and healthful article of food.
But one thing is certain, if makers
and vendors of Oleomargarine, COM
posed of filthy ingredients deleterious
to health, persist in their defiance of
law and disregard of human life, they
will ultimately arouse public senti-
ment that will sweep their vile bust
ness out of existence. 1t would be
prudent on their part to readily and
cheerfully comply with the very rea-
sonable requirements of the law, in
stead of evoking the peoples wrath
and inviting severe measures. Troy
Times.