Savannah morning news., 1886-06-17
OLE0 UNDER MANY MASKS
THE PRODUCT TURNED OUT BY
ARMOUR & co.

labels which are Apt to Fool Unsus-
Meeting Buyers-The Value of Cows
and Hogs Considerably Increased by
the Increased Uses 20 Which Their
Fat Can be Put.
WASHINGTON, June 16.-Prof. Bah
cock. OF the Boston Board Of Health, and
chemist, was the first to address the
members Of the Senate Committee on
Agriculture and Forestry, and q large
audience assembled in the committee
room, on the subject OF oleomargarine
this morning. 1t was his duty, be said,
to see that the law of Massachusetts re-
auiring that oleomargarine should be sold
under it's proper name was enforced. In
q great majority Of cases the law was
obeyed. There were thousands OF per-
sons in Boston who buy butterine know
ing perfectly whatit was. 1t was marked
"Butterine." sold for it, and the
price paid was the price of but
lerine. The same statement applied to
oleomargarine. Many dealers took more
than the precautions prescribed by law
to inform their customers what they were
buying. In many Of the factory towns
the operatives and their families were un-
able 10 buy butter, and but for this sub
stitute would be entirely without any
thing answering it's purpose. 1t was
true many boarding house keepers
placed it on their tables as butter, and in
some cases it was sold as butter, but in
like manner did some people sell sugar
and sand as all sugar.
UNDER ITS OWN NAME.
He believed oleOmargarine healthful
and that 1t should be sold as Oleomarga-
rine. A law compelling it to sail under
its true name would be wise and could be
enforced. He thought it unfair to compel
manufacturers to color Oleomargarine red
or blue or leave it uncOlOred, for people
would be prejudiced against it. A sub
stitute for any food article must look like
the article it took the place of. Oleomar-
garlne sold at 15c. per pound and was
wholesome, while butter sold much higher
and was sometimes bad. He did not be-
lieve 1t true that poisonous substances
we're used in the manufacture of oleO-
margarine for the purpose of deodorizing
any of its component materials. The
process would be practically impossible,
be thought.
INCREASED VALUE OF CATTLE.
George ii. Webster, of Armour q Co.,
Of Chicago. said his firm manufactured
large quantities OF oleOmargarine oil, oleo-
margarine, neutral Oil and butterine.
About twO-thirds of the OleomargariHe
oil manufactured by them was shipped
abroad. He thought the discovery of
Oleomargarine had increased the value of
each head of cattle So by reason Of the
increased value of the fats utilized
in the manufacture of OleOmargarine
Oil. Should a tax be imposed it would
inure wholly TO the benefit OF the Oleo
manufacturers in foreign countries with
whom the United States had to compete.
He did not think it right that oleomarga-
rine, which was pure and wholesome
product, should be taxed because 1t came
into competition with another article. He
bad a right 10 manufacture it and the
consumer to.eat it without restrictions as
to tax. 1t should be sold under its true
name.
BUTTERINE's CHARACTERISTICS.
Butterine differed from oleomargarine
In that 1t was manufactured from neutral
oil prepared from refined lard. The man-
ufacture OF butterine increased the value
Of each hog slaughtered about l251c., or
about $500, ,009for the number slaughtered
in Chicago during the past year. Two
grades OF butterine were manufactured.
The best contained % per cent. OF butter
and sold for 13c. per pound wholesale.
The second grade sold at about 101lc. and
oleOmargaFine sold at SC. to S15c. During
last year the butter used fer this purpose
had cost his firm $4,000 There were
about thirty factories manufacturing sub
stltutes for butter.
THE PEOPLE EMPLOYED.
The manufacture gave employment to
about two thousand persons, while the
manufacture OF the oil from which the
two were made gave employment, directly
and indirectly, TO thrice that number. He
urged the appointment of a committee 10
examine the various factories. While
willing to pay a license and brand the
products, more than this he thought
should not be asked. DR.. Edison, of New
York. and Or. Wolf of the New York
Board of Health, had by his invitation
visited their factory, and after eXamIna-
ton had voluntarily testified to the purity
and whOlesomeness OF the product. He
used none but the best materials in max
ing his products, and did not believe IL
possible TO use old lats or rancid butter
with profit.
THE LICENSE PLAN.
If the factories we're licensed he be-
iieved it would be easy TO detect persons
who did not pay a license, but he believed
that the imposition of tax would lead TO
many evasiOns OF the law. He under
stood that butter manufacturers were
mixing Oleo with their butter and cheese
and selling it without explanation. His
firm usually sold their product labeled
Creamery Butterine" or DAIRY Butter
ine." They would label 1t simply "Cream-
ery' or DairY'' II the customers so de-
sired, but would refuse to label it "Dairy
Butter'' or ''Creamery Butter" The near
ing will be continued tomorrow.