The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-04-28
ADULrERA.rIIoS. j. 10

I
This subject is attracting atten-
ton all around, and we are glad to
note il. An advertisement in to-
days CITIZEN by a leading family
grocer, while assuring us of the puri-
~ of his goods, lets US into somese-
erets the general public do not
know. He, tells US that ground cof:
fee is subject to many and mischiey>
Eens adulterations; that green teas
are initiated with leaves Of other
plants, or colered with deleterious
paints; that pepper and cinnamon
and spices are all mixed with for
eign ingredients; that sugar is load
ed with terra alba, and -four with
baryte<; and that the stomach ofno
|eater is safe from the insidioas en-.
try of some sort of simulated food,
we all eat, and thessfors We are al.
victims teavarice, aid unscrupulous.
dealings. Il
This week Judge 5huford in his
charge to the Grand Jury of the In
ferior Court called attention to the
offense of selling unwholesome pro-
visions of all sorts, and especially of
bad butter. Bad butter here does
not mean oleomargerine, but is the
result of careless dairy process
es. Against this. tine olfactories of
all, if properly exercised, is suffi-
cient safe guard. Some of our dRat-
ers have sometimes introduced oleo
margerine. and strange to say have
found sale f.'r it with the avowal of
the nature of the article they sold.
But this is vile, filthy, unwhole>
some compound fit for W ,gon grease,
and nothing else. Against this ma
tional legislation is now directed to
the protection of the interests of the
dairy farmer, and the protection of
the health of the people.
The Committee on Agriculture in
Congress has just reported bill,
the main provisions of which are
as follows:
The Till imposes an annual tax
as follows upon those engaged in
the business: Manufacturers, $500;
wholesale dealers, $3.50; retail deal.
ers, $4S. Manufacturers of oleo-
margarine who have not paid the
tax shall be fined$ S ,O0O to S. o @ in
addition to the tax; wholesale deals
ers $500 to $4,000, and retail deal
ers, $50 to 500. All manufacturers
of oleomargerine shall put up their
product in wooden packages,
stamped and branded under regu-
lations prescribed by the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue, and
dealers shall be allowed to sell i'm
itation butter only from packages
so branded. Violations Of this pro-
vision Shall be punishable by a line
and imprisonment. Every pack
age shall be labeled with the num-
ber of, the mandatory. Neither
the stamp thereon nor the package
shall be removed, reused or de-
stroyed, under penalty ofS50. Man
ufacturers shall pay a tax of 10
cents for each pound of oleomarga-
rine manufactured by them. and
if any manufacturer sells or re-
moves for sale or consumption ANY
oleomargerine on which the stamps
are not affixed, he shall be liable to
fine and imprisonment in addition
to the tax. Imported oleomarga>
shall pay an internal revenue tax of
Is cents per pound in addition to
the import duty.
Every person who purchases or re-
ceives for sale oleomargerine not proper.
ly branded, shall be liatl. to a penalty
of $50 for each offense and to penalty
of 500, in addition to forfeiture of the
article, for receiving Oleomargerine
from manufacturer who has
not paid the special tax Fraudu-
lent use or possession of oleomargerine
shall be punishable by fine and
imprisonment. Scientists may be APP
pointed to determine whether any arti-
Gle is subject to the tax, provided also,
whether any oleomargerineswh which is in
tended for food is deleterious to public
health. The former shall be forfeited in
case the tax stamp is not affixed, and
the latter in case it is decided to be in
furious to health. -