The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1891-02-24

@. Tucker, analyst or the State a
of Health of New York. and by many
scientific experts quoted-by him In his
report to that Board, dated May 6,
1899. There is a mass of other testi-
mOny to the same effect. Indeed, it's
healthfulness is admitted by the lard
men themselves, notably by Mr.. Hately
allowed referred to report of Hear
ings, p. $3.50, and by w. w. Kimball
at a hearing before a committee of the
legislature of New Hampshire Quoted
in Report of Hearings II. of Rep,
1890, p. 70.)
THE HOGS PREROGATIvE CHALLENGED.
Why, then, do the dealers in lard,
either pure or foul, clamor to be given
the whole field of trade by Federal
legislation ? Their answer is frivolous
and false on it's face; it is that the peo-
pie are deceived, and that when they
buy "CottOlene" and Lard Com
pound" they suppose they are buying
lard. How can lard compound be
mistaken for lard? A compound is
defined to be something compounded;
a whole or a mass formed Of several
parts or ingredients" Lard is formed
of hogs grease only. Cottolene has in
it no lard at all, and its name certainly
does not even suggest the thought of it.
Why should the people be required
by the Federal Government to use
hogs grease exclusively for their
| cooking, when many of them prefer to
assuage it's grOssness by a mixture of
beef-fat and cOttOn-seed oil ? Why
| compel the use of any lard at all by
those who prefer the pure and health
full cOttOlene 4?
What divinity is it that so hedges
around the hog that no other animal
and no vegetable may be permitted by
law to furnish the fat in which we fry
our dOughnuts and our potatoes ?
What royal decree made lard manu-
facturers a privileged order, with a
monopoly as offensive as those which
bred successful revolt during the
reign of Elizabeth
If revenue is needed and cooking fats
are to be selected to bear the burden,
why not tax lard as well a. it's rivals?
If Government surveillance is needed
in the interest of pure food, why not
supervise the pOrk-packers and reduce
the nastiness of l~ard-making as proven
by their own witnesses?
TYRANNICAL PROVISIONS IN THE I'LL
But if it were conceded to be wise,
just, and proper to put all cooking fats
except lard under public suspicion and
| disgrace by placing them under the
surveillance of u. S. Treasury officials,
and to compel their manufacturers to
pay tribute for carrying on their en-
terprises, while the hog lords, made
richer thereby, lard the lean earth as
they walk along" it would still be I'M
necessary to smirch the statute-bOOk
with spiteful and malicious provisions
having no precedent either in ancient
or in modern times. 1t would be I'M
worthy of the Government to put an
industry to death under the false pre-
tence of obtaining revenue from it.
That this language may not be
deemed too severe, observe a few of
the traps set in this legislative mon
strOsity for those who touch, taste, or
handle any commodities which com
pete with lard.
Section 6 renders it unsafe for rail
road companies to transport such com
modities. Their agents would be liza
BILE to a fine of five hundred dollars for
every omission to designate such
freight by name as lard compound, y
and this they must do in their books
of account, bills, manifests, way-bills,
dlIu UlllS u IduLllS. IL dNOIu UIIIS pou-
atty they must be sure that no cask,
licensed commodity. This would re
quire an opening of each one and an
inspection of it's contents.
By section Z the shipper is forbidden,
under penalty of fine and forfeiture of
his whole shipment, to put together
any two of his packages g pounds be-
ing the usual weight of each).- Then,
if the friction caused by this unheard
of way of handling small packages
should result in any one of the stamps
or brands becoming defaced OF par
TALLY concealed from view, he is again
subject to fine and the forfeiture of his
goods.
By section IL any person who buys a
package of lard compound not stamped
and branded as the law directs is sub
ject to a fine of $50.
By section ID, if any manufacturer is
delinquent for an hour in the pay
ment of his special tax, he is deemed
such a spotted criminal that to pur-
chase anything of him during that
hour doOms the purchaser to the pay
ment of a fine of 800.
But the climax of this curiosity in
penal legislation is reached in the fol
lowing, in section IA:
THAT whenever any stamped pack
age containing lard compound is
emptied, it shall be the duty of the
person in whose hands the same is tC
destroyed utterly the stamps thereon;
and any person who wilfully neglects
or refuses so to do shall, for each such
offence, be fined not exceeding fifty
dollars, and be imprisoned not less
than ten days nor more than six
months"
Whether this would apply to the
servant or to the master or the mis-
tress of house would depend on jul
dicial construction. But it will be OBJ.
! 1921 AhnA IL nonnI:4- - LII L.