Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30

80. 1SS6-DOUBLE
THE BOGUS BUTTER FRAUD.
Butterine and OReomargarine Threat
ening the Dairy B1sine8.
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS or Law IN THIS DIS
TRIcT-How BOGUS BUTTER MAKERS oPER-
ArE-A Law WHICH CANNOT BE ENFoRcxp-|
MR.. CRANES VIEWS on THE SUBJECT.
To the Editor of THE EvHsszNe srAn:
Last spring called attention through the COL
umns of THE STAR to the enormous quantity of
oleomargarine and butterine sold on this mar.
ket in violation Of law. Much interest was
awakened, but owing 20 lateness Of the season
and the fact that pure butter soon after took
such a decline In price that bogus butter could
not find purchasers the interest in this import
ant question soon died out. Pure butter ranged
SO low during the summer months that but
little II any Of the counterfeit article was sold
here from June to October. But when the COWS
began to dry up and the make Of flne butter was
confined mostly to few creameries that run
through the winter the price advanced from
twenty-five to fifty per cent Then it was that
oleomargarine and its twin brother butterine,
both iilegiumate children, born OF avarice,
cASonO0 AiouA tuclt SunAct nIulu& pldCeS anu
began to assert themselves. First cautiously,
like returned criminal with an indictment
hanging over his head, and then more boldly,
until now they are sold as openly on this mar
ket as butter and In greater quantities than
ever. Al nrst the sales were light. Something
nad 10 De done to check the sale OF pure butter,
90 the device was hit upon Of sending agents 70
Eigln to force up prices. Elgin is situated about
loriy miles west OF Chicago, and has world.
Wac reputation for its fine creamery butter. 1t
Is the center OF the finest butter making region
In the world, especially In winter. It has
the price OF butter for that week. The most of
the butter made in the numerous creameries
around Elgin is contracted tor during the win
Ter, either by direct sale or consignment, at
prices fixed by the Elgin board Of trade every
Monday, which prices are telegraphed over the
generally a small surplus not contracted for,
ana the price that surplus brings at Elgin every
week.
PUTTING UP THE PRICE OF BUTTER.
The butterine manufacturers seeing their
opportunity were not slow to improve it. No
vember "a the price fixed by the Elgin board
of trade was ~ cents. That seemed to be high
enough judged by the quantity of butter on the
American market, and dealers in pure butter
could see no reason why 1t should take an i'm
mediate advance. But December the agents
of the butterine manufacturers were on hand,
and purposely bid against each other on the
small surplus offered, taking everybody by
surprise, and forcing the price up to 80 cents,
which figures went out to the country as the
did not make bogus butter sell, SO the next
week they put 1T up to 30 cents, and the he xt De-
cember Is, to IS cents. which they followed by "a
grand coup Gefut, taking everything Elgn had
asked. that being the top price any butter was
hs S soos i again at 70
cents, and then having accomplished their
object, they let the balloon they had inflated
mt ii,
without buyers for its surplus Dealers at the
east in orderto make their butter net 40 cents
would not pay Then bogus butter came to- the
front. Eastern buyers, not knowing what to
depend on, dare not order; and the sale of
dealers struggled hard to keep the market from
breaking, by bidding on butter they did not
wan and succeeded in stopping the decline
week the market would recover. But their
efforts were unavailing. Eastern buyers had
being victimized, refused to order even at So
cents, and the result was that the next week.
Jan 4, panic set in and the price went down
to 3212 cents, where it still remains One is at
a loss 10 know which to regard with the most
contempt, the cunning rascals who put up this
job to enable them the better to palm
for butter, or the cold-blooded schemers
at Elgin, who for q little present gain
seem seem to be ready at any time to strike hands
friends who are making a fight for pure butter.
This set back will probably teach these greedy
men lesson that they cannot Ak the price OF
fine butter for the whole United States. New
York, the great center of trade. is the place
where the price of butter, as well as all other
absurd for the board of trade of the little town
OF Elgtn to attempt to make q price for the
whole country as for the tail to attempt to wag
the dog.
AN IMPERATIVE Law.
1t is sad sight to witness the condition OF
things In this District at the present time
With population OF over 200 900, We are as
helpless children. Denied the right of
suffrage, even to the electing ola school trustee
we are at the mercy of every avaricious per-
pose upon us. Dependent upon a congress for
our laws. that has no time to digest them, or to
correct its own blunders, we are continually
being saddled with laws not worth the paper
law for instance. BY a stupid blunder in put
ting the word 'indicted" in that bill it is made
nearly imperative. This law makes the sale
OF any article as butter that is made from the
fat Of animals in semblance OF butter, a INSIDE
meanor, punishable by fine of 500 or inn
prisonmHnt until paid It then goes on to
those who violate this law shall be proceeded
against by 'indictment," thereby taking the
though his court was created for the express
purpose OF trying all cases of misdemeanor
The case has first to come before Judge Smell TO
cupying as much time In finding this out as it
would take to dispose of the case. Then the
grand jury sit on 1t, and II q bill is found il
may be reached by the Criminal Court in the
course of two or three months, when the wit
nesses may have died or moved away.
This stupid law has stood on the statute books
for seven years, practically imperative,
though all it needs to bring the question within
the jurisdiction of Judge Smell, is to strike out
from the second section the two words s.6y in
dictnent." These two superduous words have
made the law imperative. Attention was
called to this defect last year. Why do not the
Commissioners see that the needed correction
Is made? One of their number is q lawyer of
great intelligence, being the author of a digest
of District laws. Why has he not brought this
matter to the attention of the District commit
tees in Congress? But with all its defects, the
law could be enforced if there were q DISPOSE
ton to enforce it.
For the Information of all concerned quote
the law entire, putting in italics the two words
that should be stricken out, hoping that il
neither the District Commissioners nor the Dis
trict committee in Congress, take interest
enough In this important subject to move in
stituency interested In the dairy business will
have the proper correction made.
WHAT THE Law SAYS.
The law is as follows:
An act for the protection Of darymen and to prevent
trict Of Columbia.
Be il enacted. &c. [Section IL That every person
who shall manufacture for SALE who shall offer or
expose for SALE article substance In semblance
of butter cheese the legitimate product of the
dairy, and not made exclusively OF milk cream but
into which the Oil fat of animals produced from
butter any Oil thereof has been introduced to take
the place or cream, shall distinctly and durably
stamp brand or mark upon every tub, frkin, box or
lnary in plain Roman thauh half