The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-06
COTTON SEED OIL LARD.
SOUTHERN MEMBERS BEFORE THE
HOUSE COMMITTEE.


Representative Stewart of This State
Points Out That the Passage of the
Bill Means the Loss of Millions of
Dollars to the Southern Farmer.
WASHINGTON, March 5.-The House
committee on agriculture set apart its ses-
sion to-day to hear members Of congress
who desired to speak upon the bills pending
before the committee to regulate the manu-
facture and sale of compound lard. At As
O'Clock Representative Stewart of Georgia
was the only member present and he pre-
faced his remarks by reading the following
letter:
ATLANTA GA, March 3, 1890.
To Hon. John D. SfelCdrt, Washington:
DEAR SIR-Your valued favor of Feb is be-
fore me. In reply will say that Mr.. Hatch has
no authority to say that the alliance in Georgia
wants such bill passed as you speak of. of
course it would ruin the oil mill industry in the
SOUTH and damage us about S2S.O0 900 annu-
ally. II would reduce the price of cotton seed
and raise the price Of lard, to work great
hardship to our poor people. You can rest
sured that Georgia wants no such measure
passed. Very truly, WIN l.. PEEK,
Presi ent Farmers Alliance Exchange of
Georgia
MISSISSIPPI DON'T WANT IT.
Representative Morgan of Mississippi,
Der of the farmers alliance and knew that
the organization in the southern states does
not desire the legislation proposed in the
Conger and Butterworth bills. They are in
favor of a general pure food bill. "Ihe
passage Of the Conger bill would take bread
and meat out of The mouths of our people,"
he said.
Mr.. Allan of Michigan asked Mr.. Stewart
how congress could pass a pure food bill
and not do damage to the cotton seed in
dustry, which, it is claimed. will be done by
the bills now before the committee.
Mr.. Stewart said that as far as the south
ern states are concerned they now have
laws governing the manufacture and sale
of food products which cover the case. All
that is needed to prevent the sale of I'M
wholesome products is to enforce those
laws. ITO pass law as proposed, our peo-
pile think" Mr.. Stewart said, would result
disastrously to them, reducing the price of
cotton seed to thirteen or fourteen cents a
sbushel"
ONE AS GOOD AS THE OTHER.
In answer to a question by several mem
Tbers of the committee Mr. Stewart said that
If compound lard was deleter us to health or
a fraud In any way then he would be in
favor of branding it as such, and furnishing
those who sell it. But" said Mr. Stewart.
81 do not understand that any such thing
is claimed here 1t is a fight, as I under
md scientists say one is just as wholesome
S the other. If one is to be branded then
brand the other, and tax them alike.n
In g. colloquy that ensued Mr. Morgan of
Mississippi asserted that the supreme court
had never passed upon the question Of the
,constltu tionality of the oleomargarine law,
as has been assumed in the discussion.
Mr. Stewart agreed with Mr. Morgan
that congress has the power to pass law
regulating the manufacture and sale of lard
and lard products that shall have force only
an the territories and District of Columbia.
To Mr.. McClammy Mr.. Stewart said
that he and the people he represented be-
lieved that it would be wrong for congress
to single out one food product and legislate
on it.
BAD EFFECTS OF THE BILL.
In conclusion Mr.. Stewart said that
III the use of cotton seed oil was abolished
I y the passage of the proposed bill it would
O ompel the southern farmer to go back to
IL ne situation of twenty-five years ago, when
ct,tton seed was used only as fertilizer or
TIL rown away. The tax and expenses pro-
the producer of cotton seed oil; it will be
burden on them, and such tax is not
needed by the government.
Gen. Joseph Wheeler of Alabama, who
had come into the room while Mr.. Stewart
wa S speaking, was introduced to the COM
mlltee, ana SAID tnaU the second section OF
the Conger bill was enough to damn it
among his people. THAT section defines
com pound lara, and prohibits its manufact-
are or sale except under the provisions of
the bill.j That bill would destroy an indus
try from which the people of Alabama had
received millions of dollars. "They write
to u.s." Gen. Wheeler said, demonstrating
against the passage of the bill"
PURITY OF SEED LARD.
In further statement, the general quoted
Mr.. Fairbanks as testifying that lard com
pound with cotton seed oil in it was in greater
favor with the people than pure lard, and
that at one time when he could not get his
shipments of cotton seed oil the consumers
complained of the pure lard he furnished
them, saying it was inferior to the COM
pound.
To Mr.. Hatch Gen. Wheeler said that
wbAp the people learned, as they ultimately
. would, that cotton seed oil lard is better
than any other lard, not pound of lard
which does not contain cotton seed oil would
be sold. If there were any fraud in the
matter of the sale of the lard compound.
some power which has the right ought to
regulate it, and that right, he believed,
rested in the states