The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-03-22

free. One reason for this has been
the lack of funds. The law demands
that every retail package shall be of
wood or paper not containing over ten
pounds of oleomarg garine, and that it
shall be duly lettered or labeled, as the
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
may direct. He has decided that every
package must have branded or printed
on it the word "oleomargarine," in let
ters not less than quarter of an inch
square. But little or no attention is
paid to the Commissioners decision by
the retailers of the bogus stuff, and the
statute goes uuentorced, for the reason
that sufficient funds were not appro-
pirate for this purpose to enable the
Commissioner to employ the requisite
force to execute the law. Not only
detectives and lawyers are needed, but
chemists and microscopistsare required
to aid these officials. Yet, the revenue
resulting from the oeomargarine tays
amounts to over three.quarters of
million dollars annually sum more
than sufficient for all PRACTICAL purpo-
ses, were it made available for the ex-
ecution of the statute. But the Com.
missioner is restricted to the small and
insufficient amount appropriate for that
purpose, in the face of an overfowing
treasury and an avowed desire to reduce
the National income.
Every dairyman should write to his
Congressman and U. S. Senator at
once. to see that sufficient money is ap-
propriated for efficient enforcement of
the oeomargarine statute. The New
York Mercantile Exchange, at the
suggestion of Assistant State Dairy
Commissioner Van Valkenburgb, has
already taken action on the subject,
and should be followed by every organ
ization in the country that has an in
terest in the dairy, and in honesty and
fair play in trade. 1t earnestly requests
Congress to appropriate liberal and
sufficient amount to enforce the regu-
lations made by the Internal Revenue
Department, as required by the oleo.
morgarine law, and in accordance with
the intents and purposes of the same.
This is but a reasonable demand. which
ought not to have been necessitatated
by the neglect of Congress. To enact
law and then not provide for its ex.
ecution is an insult to justice and COM
nom sense, and to every individual
whom the law was designed to benefit.
let Congress do its full duty in the
premises and the several States second
the National statute by such legislation
as only the State can make for the sup-
preston of the sale of the stuff, and it
will not be long before it will disappear
from the counters of retailers, or stand
there with the brand of shame in plain
sight. Then.if people want to buy it
in preference to genuine butter, 1t will
be their privilege, and no one will have
the righ to complain.
A correspondent of the Prairie Far
mer urges the above measure on the
attention of dairymen and farmers, and
there is no one having property invest
ed in the milk and butter business who
will not acknowledge the wisdom of at
once urging the Congressman in his
district to give his attention to provid-
ing such amendments to the oleomar-
garine law as will stop this counterfeit
fraud upon the dairy business Every
farmer in Cecil who owns COW
should address letter to Mr.. Archer,
asking him to use his influence in the
next congress to amend the law.