St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-20
WOULD TAX BUTTERINE.
Such is the Decision of the Board
Of Trade.


After the call on the board of trade was
concluded yesterday forenoon, President
Bohrer took the chair and announced that
if there was no objection the board would
listen to the report of the committee APP
pointed to consider and report as to whether
or not the board should memorabilia con-
gress to pass the bill in favor of taxing
butterine 10 cents per pound. This
matter had been submitted to the committee
last Monday morning. The attendance
on the board was very large, and among
those present was Mr.. Marvin, president of
the State Darymen's association. When
the report was called for there were prac-
tically three submitted. and all were read
by the secretary. The majority report was
signed by James Harrison. j. NJ. Bohrer
and George w. Griggs. 1t was in the
form Of a resolution that the board should
memorialiZe Minnesota congressman to adj
v0cate the passing of a law taxing butter
Inc 10 cents per pound. The minority re-
port was signed by III. P. Grant and j. w.
DOran, and recommended that the board take
no action in the matter. Mr.. Grant stated
that when the minority report was made
the whole committee was not present. and
that subsequently a paper was drawn I'D
and signed by l.. A. Gilbert, II. P. Grant
and j. W. Doran, members of the commit
tee, which he then read. The paper was
In favor of fostering the dairy interests of
the state and of the Northwest; declared
that oleOmargarine and butterine should
only be sold under their proper names:
that heavy penalties should be imposed on
any persons who shall manufacture and
sell the above articles as butter. The COM
mittee does not see the justice Or propriety
Of taxing any article of legitimate manufac-
ture in this country, or that one industry
should be taxed because of its liability to
injure another when brought into
competition with it. The commit
tee recommends that it should
not be manufactured or sold as
butter, and would make the penalties SO
severe that people will not take the risks
of selling it for butter. At the conclusion
of the reading of the reports, every person
present was requested to deliver his opinion
upon the subject, when Mr.. Marvin, presi-
dent of the Dairymen's association, eX-
pressed his views. He spoke OF the i'm
mense dairy interests of the state that
would be ruined unless something was
done to put stop to the oleomargarine
and butterine business. Wheat was form
erly our principal article of produce for
some years, but it becoming evident that
the farmer could not live by wheat alone,
the tillers of the land went into the dairy
business, and now hundreds of thousands
Of dollars are invested in it. Unless some
thing was done this large farming interest
would be ruined. Mr.. Oliver, who repre-
sents Armour 81 Co. of Chicago, maintained
that the tax would be unjust; that butterne
Ind oleomargarine were legitimate articles
for sale and manufacture, and that their
manufacture would not injure the dairy
interests. A vote was taken on the ma
lority report in favor of the tax, and it was
adopted after which the board adjourned.