Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
DETERMINED TO PROSECUTE
Widespread Violations Of the 0leomargarine
Law Alleged.
A Number Of Dealers to BE Shortly
ArraiRned to Answer Very
Serious Charges.

For several months past some of the rep
utable dealers in butter in the District
have been annoyed and injured by the
habit many smaller dealers got into OF SELL
Ing imitation manufactures, such as but
terne and oleomargarine, and represer. tin :
them to their customers as being the gen.
uine article Of the particular grades adver-
tised by the regular butter dealers. The
custom became so widespread and general,
1t Is said, that several hundred pounds of
imitation butter was disposed Of daily by
means of such Misrepresentation. This
reprehensible habit not only injured the
reputation Of the dealers in the genuine
product, but was an Imposition on the con-
sumner, and an offense against the revenue
laws of the United States, which provide
that all limitations Of butter shall be plain
ly stamped as such not only on the riginal
packages. but upon the wrapper of any
quantity sold, the penalty being for G vio-
lation Of this provision In retail sales a fine
or 800 and Imprisonment. Where the law
Is violated In wholesale transactions, the
penalty is $1,000 fine and imprisonment.
Many Cases Fully Made.
The probabilities now are strongly I'm ia.
vor Of a number of local dealers being ar
ra!gned to answer for the violation of this
law in It's provisions relating to both whole
sale and retail traffic. Several gentlemen,
including consumers as well as dealers in
genuine butter. determined, some weeks
ago. to investigate the practice described
above, and to vigorously prosecute every
enc who might be found engaged in 1t. De-
tectives We're put at work and quietly pur-
sued their Investigations In all sections of
Washingt-n n. They visited place after place
made purchases of what was represented TO
be genuine butter: secured it from dealers
without any evidence to show that it was
raal i
these purchases analysed, with the result
tfat in over thirty cases. thus far reported,
the stun sold as butter was butterine or
oleomargarine.
their attention called to this condition OF
affairs long time ago, but merchants in
terested complain that up to this time moth
Ing has been heard from them. either in the
shape of prosecutions or reports.
The failure OF the internal revenue leo
pie to act, however, has not deferred the
private individuals engaged in the work
from continuing 1t with vigor, and the re-
suit will be seen in few days, when fully
prepared cases against a number of deal
ers will be presented to District Attorney
Birney for action.
Some time ago there were several cases
against dealers charged with the violation
of the oleomargarine laws tried in the Police
Court and the prisoners sent to the grand
jury, by which they were promptly indict-
ed. District Attorney Birney said then that
he would prosecute the alleged offenders to
the full extent of the law. but a week after
the grand jury had been dismissed, he went
into court before Judge Cole and entered a
Eolle pros. in each of the cases. 1t Is said
that this action on District Attorney Bir
peys part was due to instructions from the
Treasury Department, where 1t is also said
the parties charged with the offenses quiet
" paid the money penalties attached to the
violation OF the statute in order to escape
the undesirable notoriety that trials for the
offenses would bring about.
The cases now prepared will be pushed to
trial The gentlemen who are interested in
era1icating the evil of selling imitation but
ter for the real thing are determined that
the full penalties of the law shall be visited
upon every man who is found guilty of vio-
lating the statute governing the sale of
oleomargarine or other limitations of butter.