The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-17
BETTER TELL THE TRUTH.
Chances Taken by Dealers and Hotel
Keepers Who Violate a State
&4@ Law.
Those Who Sell or Use Spurious
Butter Must Put UP Four
Signs.
Inforiners Givon an Opportunity to Make
Quite n Snug Sum by Helping Com
vict the viOlators.

There ia a great deal of uncertainty and
some ~uneasinsss among the dealers in but
ter and oleomargarine in Helena, as to Just
how they stand regarding compliance with
the law. The matter has been called to
their attention by the arrest at Butte of a
Chinese restaurant keeper and also of a
white man who runs a lunch counter. The
arrests were made not under the United
States law, as many suppose, but under a
state law regulating the traffic in spurious
butter. The internal revenue department.
does not deal with consumers. only with
Wholesale and retail dealers. Capt. j. s.
Mills, talking of the matter yesterday, said
the dealers in Helena and elsewhere through
out the state were complying with the
United States laws, and so long as they did
so they would not be bothered by him.
But there is a state law that regulates
not only the sale of spurious butter in
Montana, but also its use in restaurants
and hotels. 1t has never been enforced,
but it is on the statute books, and as the
informer gets q round sum for every oon-
viction it stands dealers and consumers in
good stead to comply with it until it is re-
pealed. Section l9l, fourth division Of the
revised statutes Of Montana. reads as fol
lows: :@@
Amy person or persons b shall offer.
expose Or have for sale, or give or offer to
give away, or in any manner dispose Of,
oleomargarine. butterine, suine. or any
article, substance or preparation, intended
to be used, or which can be used, given
away or disposed of for a substitute for
butter Or cheese, or for any Of the pur-
poses for which butter and cheese are
used \, by whatever name the same may be
designated. shall, in addition to the re-
q~uirsments made by law. Is to notices, ETC.,
post at least four notices, printed in plain
Roman type Of at least one inch in length,
three, of said notices to be in the English,
and one in the German language. in four
conspicuous places in each salesroom. store,
Office, place or places where said substance.
article or preparation is so kept or offered
for sale, or disposed of, said notices to con-
tain the true name of such article. sub
stance or preparation, over the words. for
sale here.o And no other words whatso-
ever. -5
The next section refers to consumers
and is as follows:
Any person or persons keeping, conduct
ing, running or being The proprietor or
proprietors Of any hotel, inn, restaurant,
boarding house. lunch room, place or places
WublG AlGd1S ht0 ooAAt WIZ budAA Asos Cduo0
or allow to be used or furnished in such
hotel. inn, restaurant, boarding house.
lunch room, OF place or places where
meals arc sold, any oleomargarine,
butterine, suine, or any article
or substance as q substitute
for or in the place Of butter or cheese,
shall put four notices, three in English and
one in the German language, printed in
plain Roman type of at least one inch III
length. in four conspicuous places in tie
room or looms where said meals are fur
nished OF sold. said notices to contain the
true or common name Of any such article
or substance over the words fused here in
stead of BUTTER" and no other words what
soever. -S
The penalty for the violation of either of
the above sections is a fine of not less than
$50 nor more than 800. or imprisonment
TOR not less than ten nor more han thirty
days, or both fine and imprisonment. One
half of whatever fine is collected goes to
the informer. It will be seen that when
times are dull a bright fellow could make
quite a killing. 1t is for this reason that
some Helena restaurant keepers are getting
nervous. They can easily avoid all trouble
by putting up the signs.