The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-11-27
STATE DAIRY INTERESTS
PROC REsS AND NEEDS rom IN THE
 COAMISSIONER'S REPORT.

Greatly Enhanced in value In the Last rew Years-ManuEaoture and Consumption of marGarine--scarcely Any Manufao- tured or Sold in Connecticut at Present. Causes of the Decrease in Its Manufao- tnrs-Forinerly Used in State Institutions lover 1, 4,2OO,OOO Pounds of Butter Made in the State in 1S05-Other Interesting Facts About Dairy Interests.
 The fifth annual report of State Dairy Commissioner c. s, Burlingame for the seventeen months ending September 30, 1895, has just appeared and gives inter esting facts in regard to the state dairy interests. The report gives the number of gallons of milk produced in the sev- enteen months as 54,413,S22, pounds of butter 7,196,O95 pounds of cheese 112566 and the number of milch cows in the state as 127S92.
 By the establishment of large num- Der of creameries and additional milk routes to some of the large cities since 1890 a great impetus has been given to the dairy interests of the state, and there has unquestionably been a great annual increase in the quantities of dairy products.
 In connection with this the report says that it is at once evident that in dustries of such immense value to the state as the dairy industries are deserv- ing of encouragement by wise protec- tive laws. In 1886 7,97o,562 pounds of pure butter were made in the state and 2,656,S54 pounds of oleomargarine. This shows that one-quarter of the butter sold in the state at that time was the imitation article, and at the average price paid by consumers, 2S cents per pound, the dealers received S611 ,076 AZ, realizing above fair retail value of 16 cents per pound, q gross profit of $1S5,- 979.7S The average value of butter from the milk of cows was at this time 25 cents per pound. Estimating that the sale of 2,656,S54 pounds of imitation butter destroyed the market for an equal amount of the genuine article, it is evident that the dairy interests were subjected to a very serious and unfair competition. And in addition to this
 
 were subjected, on their part, to injury in the palming off upon them, in most case, of an inferior article purportins Ito be what it was not, at price far in excess of it's real value.
 A law was passed by the general as- Sembly of 1886 to throw around the sale of imitation butter in restrictions which would prevent it's sale under fraudulent representations, but there was a senti- ment among dealers and manufacturers of spurious butter that the law would mot be enforced
 However, within short time, the views of manufacturers and dealers radically changed, and in the course ot years not only has the law been en- forced, but at the present time the sale of oleomargarine is practically ended ir Connecticut.
 That the use of imitation butter is al most if not wholly ended in Connecticut is proven by the result of an investiga' tion by the internal revenue department Towering Connecticut and probably other states) which has recently come to the commissioners knowledge. A special agent of the department visited Connecticut several months ago under instructions ito ascertain whether any oleomargarine was being sold Wthou payment of the United States license fee iby dealers. Under his instructions the agent visited a great number O dealers and examined with a microscop; all butter on sale. This agent did no detect any selling of imitation buttel flor genuine anywhere in the state. Sine that time four retail dealers have talk en out United States licenses to sel oleomargarine and have registered ant procured signs from the state dairy commissioners office. These men un dertake to sell unco1ored oleomargar inc.
 The report states that the decrease 0 production of spurious butter in thu year ending June 30, 1895, as compared with the previous fiscal year, 13, 163, ,29 pounds, nearly 20 per cent, may be at tributed, in part at least, to advers legislation in Connecticut, Massachu setts, New York and other states.
 For economical reasons the use of i'm itation butter was at one time more O less common in state institutions. 'T was reported, says NIT. BufllllSdH in his report, that the largest user 0 this article was the Connecticut Schoo tor Boys at Meriden, and while thi may have been true at one time, tn superintendent, MT. Thatcher, inform me that, in view of the character of tn Legislation, he ordered soon after tax Eng charge of the institution, that tn use of imitation butter be discontinued It has not since been used there, and am informed that the article is not nov used in any of the state institutions"
 The production of butter during tn year ending June 3O 1895. was over 4, 900 pounds, although the condition of the year, including much dry weath er and consequent shortage of feed were not favorable to a large produc tion. There was also a large outpu
 R
 LA