The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-03-27

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country, which are in turn competitors of
the other two.
Attempts have been made to give the
impression that the farmers Throughout
the country are opposed to the use of
cotton seed oil in the manufacture of lard
compounds, but the Southern farmer has
repudiated this claim and demands that
this valuable product of his farm shall
not be interfered with. It il difficult to
understand how Congress can reasonably
claim to legislate upon this subject,
inasmuch as it is special business, in
which
COMPETITORS IN TRADE
are chiefly Interested. The result of this
agitation has been to affect the manufac.
turers of lard compound and the export
business in all the lard trade. At
recent hearing in Congress an important
protest was submitted on the part of New
York merchants and exporters, repre-
senting nearly s15,0OO,oOo of capital,
against the further agitation of the ques-
ton, on the ground of injury to the
American trade. It also appeared that
the result of the agitation several years
ago had served to increase the manufac-
ture of refined lard in foreign countries,
lard refneries having been built in Ham
burg, in Liverpool and in Stettin, where
the oil made from Egyptian seed is util-
lied in the manufacture of cotton oil.
The result has been to place our Ameri.
can products under ban, so that lards
and lard compounds manufactured in
this country, although of equal merit and
quality to the foreign product, cannot
be sold for an equal price. Foreign
countries have also been led to discrimi-
nate in their customs laws against oil
products made in this country, and
imposed onerous duties upon the impor-
tation of the article. The tendency of
such legislation as this is to encourage
retaliatosy legislation in the various
States, it being intimated by the farmers
of the South that if Congress untertskes
to injure cotton seed oil they will demand
and insist upon the passage of bills dis.
criminating against the manufacture and
sale of lard on account of the obnoxious
methods which are understood to prevail
among some packers in the manufacture
oft. On this point testimony was in.
troduced at q hearing in Congress at the
last session which, if true, would justify
the belief that practices are indulged ia
which would not be agreeable to people
ofsensitiye tastes.
It is only in this country that any
attempt is made to discriminate against
so valuable and interesting product.
Yet, as has before been stated, the intro.
ductiop of cotton seed oil into lard
compounds has improved the quality Of
all the lard manufactured in this coun.
try. It had to be improved in order to
meet the competition of the, compound
which is sold for about three, quarters of
cent less per pound than the alleged
hog lard. The cotton seed oil compound
is as much entitled to be described as lard
as any article known by this name in
this country, for there has been little, if
any, absolutely pure lard for forty years.
COMPOUND LARD
is make up of from 60 to rs per cent of
prime steam lard-that is, the hog fat
product twice rendered and purifed-15
to rs per cent of prime cotton seed oil
and to Is per cent Of beef or lard stear.
inc. The profits to the manufacturer on
this compound are not large, varying from
]. to 1 cent per pound.
If this compound lard is wholesome, to
legislatate it out of existence would be
an arbitrary exercise of power in the
interest Of a.class as against the advan-
tage of the community. AS was pointed
out by one of the witnesses before the
committee, it is against public policy to
tax any legitimate food products or to
restrict the sale of those which cheaper
the cost of living and in the manufacture
of which millions of capital and thou.
sands of men are employed. It is also
contrary to public policy 70 discourage
those industries which add to the wealth
of the country by turning into valuable
channels products which would other.
wise be worthless or greatly reduced in
value.
There csn be no question that cotton
seed oil and cotton seed oil lard com
pounds are wholesome. When the
Legislature of New Hampshire was dis
cussing q somewhat similar bill to the
one now before Congress all the members
of the State board of health testified that
they considered the oil and compound
lard perfectly wholesome, and that they
were using the oil largely in their practice
for the uourishing of infants and sick
persons. They we're agreed that it is
readily assimilated by the stomach than
any other known oil. All of them used
the oil on their tables and the lard COM.
pound in their kitchen.
The State board of health of New York
has also endorsed cotton seed oil as food
and declared the belief of its members
that the compound lard was wholesome.
Prof. Wylie, of the agricultural depart
ment of the United States, has also
endorsed the healthfulness of cotton seed
oil and of the lard compounds into which
it enters. In fact, the opponents of the
oil and its compounds have practically
abandoned the long cherished contention
that it is in any way injurious to health.
Their ground of attack now is that the
people should know what they are buy.
ing, whether their grocers sell them lard
which is all animal grease or partly vege.