The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-06-24
The Friends of Pure Butter Heard

Last week a number Of. alleged scien-
lists were before the Committee to prove
that oleomargarine was perfectly harm
less compound, and in fact better than The
butter it was designed to initiate. In this
line, on Thursday last. the friends of oleo-
margarine concluded the presentation of
their side of the argument before the Sen.
ate Committee on Agriculture with a
statement from a representative of Ham-
mond Il Co., of Chicago, and an eXhibi-
tion of the products of Armour & Co.
Gardiner B. Chaplin, of Boston, then adj
dressed the committee in behalf of pure
butter. He said the Massachusetts State
law was not well enforced, as had been
represented by Prof. Babcock. He had
been told by manufacturers that fats were
collected once week in the rural towns
and once day in Boston. The dressed
beef shipped by Armour Il Co., from Chi
cago, was largely sold in Boston, and the
fats therefrom were collected from the
provision dealers The beef usually
reaches Boston week or ten days after
the animal was slaughtered. He desired
to put this in evidence in contravention of
the statements made by experts that the
fat must be not more than twenty four
hours old.
S. p. Hubbard, of Boston, corrOborated
the statement of Mr. Chaplin.
Colonel Il. M. Littler, secretary of the
Chicago Produce Exchange, said that the
statement of the 1.-TWO or three scientists
who were paid to traduce and villify agri-
culture were untrue. He read from a
German work to show that parasites did
exist in the fat of animals. There was no
distinction between the selling of bogus
butter and bogus money. The State law
of Iowa has been found ineffective. The
average value of each dairy COW in the
United States had decreased $40 since this
business began and he put this statement
in evidence against the assertion that each
animal was worth rs more because Of the
value of the fat used in oleomargarine
manufacture. The value of the butter and
cheese product had also been diminished
by $40 100000 since that time. On one
short line of railroad in Iowa nineteen dis
mantled creameries bore testimony to the
ruin inflicted on honest dairymen by the
sale of bogus butter. He believed 95 per
cent. OF all OleOmargarine was sold fraud
ulently.
MI. ruler. OF pennsylvania, ana MI.
Seymour, of New York, gave evidence of
the inefficiency of State laws and asked
the enactment of National law. The
latter gentleman put in evidence state
ments made by the chemists of the New
York Produce Exchange. Prof. Waller, of
the Columbia School of Mines. and other
eminent scientists before the New York
Dairy Commission to the effect that
wholesomeness of oleomargarine could not
be proved by chemical analysis but must
be ascertained physiologically. Mr.. Sey
mour said that formerly the United States
held the tallow trade of Europe. Since
the manufacture of oleomargarine began
only the poor fats were used in tallOw
manufacture and the consequence was that
the United States cnlilt ship no talow.
The effect in America has also been dis
astrous.
W.. S. Truesdell, of st. Louis. represent
ing the Mississippi Dairy Association
Lawrence J. Callahan. q grocer Of New
York city, and w. p Richardson Of Bos
ton, also gave t"si lnony in support of the
views of the d,tirymen.
Let the Republican Senate now take up
and pass the oleomargarne bill with as
little delay as possible. The country looks
to them to protect the people against
frauds and in nothing can that expectation
be more fully met than by the passage of
his bill.