Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-04
No RETTER PLAN.

The passage OF the compound lara Dill 1ol-
lowing the enactment of the oleomargarine
act, and adopting the same policy of legisla-
tion with regard to imitation food products,
has evoked she usual outcry against the
practice of "taxing the product of one in
dustry for the benefit of another" If that
werethe whole of the matter the legislation
would be decidedly obnoxious. To say that
a new industry shall be handicapped to pre-
vent its injurlng an old one would be the
climax not only of injustice, but of legisla-
tive stupidity.
IT compound lard, meaning lard COM
posed largely of cottonseed oil, and oleo-
margarine, which is composed of certain
animal fats treated by chemicals, so as to
taste like butter, had always been sold for
what they were, without any pretense that
they were the genuine articles, the legisla-
ton referred to would have had exactly the
obnoxious character stated above. We can
60 further and assert that if the manufact-
urers of oleomargarine had put up their
butter in o shape that practically said to
the public: "This is not butter, but a
cheaper substitute for it, which we claim to
be as good" and the manufacturers of CON-
pound packages with labels prominently
declaring that it was largely cottonseed oil,
no such legislation would ever have been
passed. But that was not the course taken
by the manufacturers. The oleomargarine
was Lot only treated to taste like butter, but
=. 1oa Eah
pound lard was labeled 'strictly pure" lard
with various changes on the term. The sue
cess of both staples was gained by their
preparation so as to permit retailers to prac-
tlce the general imposition on the public of
selling the limitations for the genuine; and
an immense trade was built up which had
for its foundation the deceit and fraud
which was carefully prepared by the manu-
facturers OF these articles.
We do not think anyone will deny
that it is legitimate function Of legislation
to interfere with the systematic sale of one
another. But the legislation proper to the
case was rather difficult to outline. To say
that an admittedly harmless product like
cottonseed oil shall not be mixed with lard
at all, would plainly be arbitrary. To
simply forbid the sale under false pretenses
without providing any means of detection,
would simply leave the matter where it was.
The method was adopted by Congress of
providing low rate of internal revenue tax,
with the Government stamp affixed to
the staples as a method Of putting
a mark on the imitation products, which
would give consumers Some chance of know
ing what they buy. To say that this is a
satisfactory method, especially as it in
creases taxes, at time when reduction is
called for, would be claiming too much.
But, so far, it has been the one which holds
out the best hope of protecting consumers
against Wholesale cheating, and it is a perti-
nent matter that none of the most savage
critics of the plan have as yet suggested any
thing to take its place, which would protect
the public against the deceit that these
products are especially designed to facilitate.
One thing is necessary to say to the inter-
ests that are burdened by the oleomargarine
and compound lard taxes. They are not
only responsible for it, by their systematic
industry in providing the material for COM
mercial frauds; but they can remove the ne
cessity for it BY turning out their products
SO as to make such, deceit impossible. If
the makers OF oleomargarne choose to en-
sure that their product shall be sold for
oleomargarine and nothing else, by coloring
it pink, as ice cream is colored, and the
makers of compound lard take the same
trouble to have the product bear Its own
notification to the public that it is not
pure lard, it will be easy for them