The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1890-05-08
THE COMPOUND LARD BILL.


II
III. 1t is plain that legislation of
thecharacter embodied liz the propus
ed bill, with its manifest discrimina-
ton against and stringent regulation
OF particular food product, can be
justified only on one or both Of the
following grounds:
|. That the product in question is
Injurious to the health or the morals
Of the public; or.
.. That the products are being
sold by the manufacturers thereof
under misleading and deceptive |
brands, 50 that the public is decelv-
ed as to their real nature and char
acter.
a. The product which is attacked
by the supporters of this bill is an
article called and labeled as ''lard
compound" or "refined lard COM
pound" and upon which the pro-
posed measure imposes, under
heavy penalties, the arbitrary I'd
transposed designation compound
lard"
This compound is composed of
three substances-ali agricultural
products---lard, beef fat, and cotton
seed oil. In the process Of manu-
facture the best Obtainable grades OF
commercial lard are purchased and,
before mixing with the OTHER In
gradients, are thoroughly cleansed
refined. The manufacturers of this
product are in sharp competition
with the manufacturers of so called
pure lard, both substances being
sold as kitchen fat or cooking tat.
The record before the committee
contains no proof whatever that
this product is in any respect either
as compound or as to its several
ingredients, deleterious Or injurious
in the health of the public. On the
contrary, there is affirmative testI-
mOny of the most reliable character,
that lard compound and its ingre-
dents are perfectly healthiul and
nutritious.
1t appears that Daring the last
session of the legislature of the
State of New York, a bill was in
troduced somewhat similar to the
one under consideration. The sub
iect was referred to the committee
on public health, which sought the
advice of the State board Of health
with regard to the healtht'ul less OF
the product. A copy of the report
Of that Eoard has been submitted to
this committee, and is hereto annex
ed as Appendix a. Upon the receipt
Of this report by the committee on
public health of the State Of New
York, the committee reported adj
versely upon the bill; and it did
not become a law
This same subject was considered
and rejected by the legislature OF
the State Of New Hampshire, at its
last session; the State board oil
health unanimously approved oftht
, product in question as being health
full and desirable edible fat, anC
other members of the medical pro
fession of that State Endorsed thu
product most heartily. See aft
davits annexed a. Appendix B.
Since the last investigation by thu
committees of the Fittieth Congress
the Agricultural Depar IN n
through it's chemist, DR.. Wiley. ha
issued bulletin No. ID, part 4, from
which it appears that after an ex
. haustive examination of the Who'll
: subject Of lard and lard compounds
he has been unable to discover any
thing prejudicial to health in tn
\ food product known as lard com
pound or in c0tton-seed oil.
None Of the supporters OF this bi
now attempt to justify their att
I tude by claiming that the prodat
, is not wholesome edible fat. "
must, therefore, come to to the cor
clusion, upon this branch of til
case, that there is no pretcxt wha
r ever for legislation of this characte
(f.) The consideration of the Oth'
branch of this question, viz, I'll
~ proper branding of the goods, [requi
es no comment. For every pratIc
of this article now on the market
branded i'll plain letters, and I'll
purchasers know exactly what he
. getting, and if tie manufacture
did not SO brand this article of foo
U. or should not continue to do so,
simple statute making it a pen
offence would be all that justice al
the protection of the public cOu
demand or desire.
The Language in the brackets
above is our own, but is the SUI
stalce of what is contained in
page or two of the report.-El.
= V 1t has been urged by the suppo
-, tiers Of this measure that this que
er tion is analogous to the one preser
ed upon the passage of the ole
To margarine law. We maintain til
~ there's no analogy in principle. T
oo manufacturers of OleOmargari
Oh were unquestionably deceiviMg t
public by fraudulently marking al
o f selling their goods as butter, and
was because OF this deception a
fraud that the Congress of t
United States undertook to prOtt
the public. No similar reason c
- lists for the passage of this bill,
view of the fact that the manufac
rers of lard compound are proper
and intelligently branding tn
goods so that no deception can
practised upon the public.
q q 1t is further apparent that t
present b IL will not accomplish a
public benefit and is not demand
Jul by any intelligent public sentime
but will unduly Cypress a reputal
"a trade and industry by placking up
M it the seal of Congressional dis:
~ prevail at the demand of a ri,
, business. This will be accomplish
lie by the tax i'm posed, which will te
to increase the price of the co
modify and restrict the trade, a
by placing the industry under
control of the Internal Rcyel
Department, which is now {
always has heen obnoxious to mer