The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-06
FROM WASHINGTON.
An Exhaustive Report on tho oIeo-
margarine Bill.
An Annual Production of ,ooo, 900
Pounds of Butter.
A Favorable Report on Senator Frye's
American Congress Bill.
George Jones Of the N. Y. Times on
the Witness Stand.
Especial to the PRESS

WASHINGTON, May 5.-The House Committee
on Agriculture in their report on the bill to pre-
vent the illegal sale of all limitations of dairy
products, which has just been printed present
some interesting and startling facts upon the
manufacture and sale of such imitation products
and their effects uponthe sale OF the real articles
They say-"The power of the Federal govern
ment to impose an internal revenue tax upon the
manufactured compounds sold as limitations ana
counterfets of butter is too well established by a
long line of precedents to require any argument;
indeed, as far as the committee are ADVISED, thls
power in unquestoned and universally conceded
by those who deny the necessity or expedlency
of such tax. The only remaining question is as
to the propriety of this legislation at this tme.
The committee on agriculture have given the sub
iect a patient. and so far as practicable an ex-
haustve examination, and in the course of the
investigation have listened to arguments by re-
representatives. Of the National Butter, Cheese and
Egg Association, the Iowa Butter and Cheese AS
sociation, the Baltimore Produce Exchange,
American Agricultural Association, the New
York Retail Grocers Union Hon. Norman j. Col
man, Commissioner of Agriculture and Dr.. Geo.
b. Loring, eX-Commissioner of Agriculture, as
well as representatives of the manufacturers ana
dealers in oleomsrgarne. The committee find aS
the result of their investigations that there are in
the United States over 100000 cows, pro
ducing annually over 1,o0o.OoO,oO0 pounds Of
butter and S0o,0eo,00o pounds of cheese, and
that the product is worth S250,00o,0 ,000 That
about an equal amount of milk is consumed as
milk so that the product of the dairy interests of
the United States is worth S50o,00o,0oo annual
ly. The cows were worth on an average $40 per
head until the introduction of counterfeit butter,
and are now worth but $50 each, making a total
of OQO ono in mill patt1Q a1Ona There
are from four to five million American citizens
engaged in the dairy business, and they must all
abandon it and be driven into some other bust
ness unless they can be relieved from the present
ruinous competition with cheap imitation of but
ter and cheese, the cost Of producing which is
only from to cents pound while the cost to
the consumer is about to the price of genuine buls
ter.
Such limitations, say the committee, are not
only disastrous to the dairy interests directly and
to all branches of agriculture indirectly, but they
are detrimental to public health, being the fruit
full cause of dyspepsia and other diseases
Among the article used in the manufacture of
such limitations are mentioned the following:
Nitric acid, sugar of lead, sulphate of lime, ben
zoic acid, butyric acid glycerine, capsic acid,
commercial sulphuric acid, tallow, butyrc ether,
castor oil, caul, gastric juice, curcumine, chlorate
of potash peroxide of magnesia, nitrate of soda,
dryblood albumen, saltpeter, borax, orris root,
bcarbonate of soda, caparic acid, sulphite OF
soda, pepsin, lard caustic potash, chalk. oil OF
sesame (or benne). turnip seed oil, oil of sweet
almonds, stomach of pigs, sheep, or calves,
mustard-seed oil, bicarbonate of potash, boraeic
acid, salicylic acid, cotton-seed OIL alum cows
udders, sal soda, farinaceous -four, carboic acid
slippery-elm bark, olive oil, broma chloralum, oil
of peanuts sugar, caustc Soda With such an
array of posons and injurious substances it is not
to be wondered atthat oleomargarine is unhealthy
1t is believed that there are about 200,00O,0O0
pounds of spurious butter now being manufac-
tured annually which not only taken the place Of
so much butter, but stops the consumption OF
much more by the decentralization of the trade.
The committee believe that theexistence of such
base counterfeit is demoralzing to the people,
and has already seriously impaired our export
trade, and will result in still greater damage If
not checked. AT least nine-tenths of the people
of the United States demand the legislation. In
view of all these facts the committee recommend
the passage of the bill.
May 18th has been assigned as the time when
this bill shall be taken up. and from the fact that
very large majority, 129 to 16, voted to set
aside that day, is considered an indication tina
the bill will pass by large majority
GOnSrGSS OF AMERICAN Ndttoilos
The Senate committee on foreign relations has
authorized Senator Frye to report to the Senate
substitute for his bill providing for the Congress
of American nations. The substitute differs but
little from the original bill, there being only
few slight changes. Allprovisions of the original
bill being retained 1t will be reported tomorrow.
Mr.. Jones on the Stand.
George Jones of the New York Times was the
first witness called before the telephone investi-
eating committee to-day. He said he was related
to the Times, was owner and had small voice in
its management. He declined to name the chief
of the editorial staff. The position taken by the
Times in the matter under investigation had been
that, inquiry into the manner in which the Bell
patent had been issued and its validity consider
ing its immense value it probably was the most
valuable private monopoly there was on earth,
that proper examination of the manner III which
the Bell Company had been given its FRANCHISE
was entirely correct.
If it was legitimate patent there certainly could
be no objection to having it examined. Mr. Jones
then went on to explain the four column article
published by II Times as an advertisement for
the Bell Co. He said it was paid for at the rate OF
dollar a line. His further testimony was not OF
an important nature.
Mrs. Thompson's Case.
The Senate committee on postoffices and post
roads this morning directed tnat favorable re-
port bs made on the case of Mrs. Thompson to be
poStmistresS at Louisville.