Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-06-03

ly interested In the profits and losses Of
she diarymen. Great as the dairy interest
of this country unquestionably is, and
worthy of the consideration of all our cit
liens, we must Notwithstanding admit the
truth, that the general public is particu-
larry noted for general selfshness.
The attitude of the dairymen on this
question of bogus butter has heretofore
been SO patiently on self-interest, that
many people have come to regard their
statements with distrust. They do not
! question the injury to the dairy interest,
but they are disposed to regard the state
ment made as to the character of tho
compounds which may be embraced IN
der the general head of imitation butter,
as willfully traduced by the dairymen in
their own interests. Unquestionably it
is not only natural but proper that dairy
men should be the first and the most &C
tive to interest themselves in an expos
ure of the bogus butter business, but to
successfully antaonize its detrimental in
fiuence we must depend upon public SEN
iment. The meeting OF dairvmen, and
their constant resolutions in regard to
the evil done to their business has, we
fear, not one 1.-THE of the
influence on the general public that it
ought to have. Prohibition Of the manu-
facture of imitation butter does not seem
where it has been tried, to have been en-
tirely successful and we have no reason
for supposing that prohibitive tax such
as proposed by the Scott bill, is likely to
be any more so. The features OF the bill
deserving commentator are those which
make it well nigh impossible for anyone
to deal in bogus butter without being
|
disc. In Our opinion the amount of the
tax imposed or of the license exacted for
| the manufacture and sale Of butterine is
not so important as that it's manufacture
and sale be regulated, and this applies to
greater or less extent to any kind Of
| adulteratiOn or imitation of food. It is
peculiar industry in which the dishon-
est dealer is not only greatly favored by
deception in which is fraught with posi-
BILE danger to the health Of the communi-
ty.
The argument that some makers Of but
terine have succeeded in manufacturing
and do generally manufacture a product
not injurious to the health, does not meet
the case at ALL 1t is not easy to suppose
that manufacturers of imitation butter
are more honest than other men, or that
retail dealers in this commodity are more
conscientious. They are under constant
temptation to cheaper their product more
and more, and in most cases will unques-
tionably do so, until they reach limit
where the taste, sight, and smell can no
longer deceive the consumer. This, then,
is ample justification for placing the bus
mess, like whisky, tariff, under ban, and
subjecting it to special legislation. The
only machinery through which this can be
done effectually is the internal revenue
service.
If the public be generally aroused to
the fact that in purchasing butter they
have no protection against being served
with an imitation, they will be supposed
to co-operate,w with all legitimate efforts to
secure this result, not for the sake of the
farmer, but for their own protection
against imposition The needful thing is
to secure publicity in the case of every
person who deals in the stuff. It must be
made impossible for any one to handle it
without its being known that he does SO,
and we can hardly doubt that all respect
able grocers will hesitate long before they
expose themselves to all their customers
! as dealers in butterine. In the case of
those who run the risk there can be no
question that they would lose very large
number of their customers, whose conf
dence in the integrity of the ''best cream
cry" and ''best dairy" butter products pur-
chased at their establishments would be
severely shaken were such purchases made
in full view of prominent sign to the
effect that the dealer was licensed to deal
in butterine The provisions of the Scott
law apart from those clauses defining the
amount of license fees and the amount
per pound to be levied on the product,
seem to US calculated to secure this desir-
able publicity.