The record-union., 1896-11-22

On the 9Th of December, 1895, the fol-
lowing reply was received:
William Vanderbilt, Agent and Secre-
tary State Dairy Bureau, San Francis
CO. Cal.-Sir: Your letter of the 3uth
ultilno has been received, stating that
the bureau is desirous of obtaining,
from the monthly statements of IL
censed dealers, the names of purchasers
and consumers of oleomargarine in TINS
State, and that 1.-The revenue officers
say they are not permitted to show the
monthly statements without orders
from headquarters.
In reply, you are informed that 1t IS
no part Of the duty of a Collector, or
Deputy Collector, nor are they author
lied to give out information belonging
to internal revenue to applicants there
for. The only internal revenue record
which there is any provision of law Tor
opening to the public is the list OF
special tax payers. 1t is kept open for
public inspection in the office of the
Collector, but neither the Collector, nor
any Deputy Collector, is allowed to
make copies or give out information
therefrom at the request of citizens.
If any person desires to obtain infor-
nation from the list mentioned he can
do so only by inspecting it himself, or
sending some person to inspect 1T for
him, and at times only when such in
spection will not interfere with the
proper transaction of the business Of
the office; the Collectors right to the
| record, in the necessary discharge Of
his official work, being paramount to
the right of the public to inspect it. Re-
specially yours,
G.. NJ. WILSON,
Acting Commissioner.
From the foregoing letter, the Inter-
nal Revenue Department at Washing
ton assumes that the public, or any
of its officers, have no right TO know
whether licensed dealers selling oleo-
| margarine make their monthly state
ments required by law.
OLEOMARGARINE.
From all the information the bureau
can obtain there were sold and con-
sumed in the State of California from
the 1st day of January, 1894, to the
1st day Of March, 1895, a period of
! fourteen months, over 100000 pounds
| of oleomargarine and butterine. Of
this amount 100000 pounds was man
ufactured in this State, and 100000
| pounds imported into the State. The
unlimited sale of oleomargarine and
butterine during that time was a loss
to the dairy industry of this State of at
least 100000.
! Eighteen licenses were issued by the
Internal Revenue Department for the
| sale of oleomargarine to dealers in
| this State from July /, 1894, to Decem-
Der 1, 1894. OF these, seven were in
San Francisco, seven in Los Angeles,
one in San Jose, two in San Bernardino
| and one in Oakland.
GOOD EFFECT OF THE PRESENT
LAW.
Since the 1st day of July, 1895, only
| four licenses have been issued by the
Internal Revenue Department for the
sale of oleomargarine. All of these Ii
| censes were issued to dealers in the
city of Lose Angeles. Three of these Ii
censes were surrendered before the time
expired for which they were issued; the
other one expired on June 80, 1896.
There have been no licenses issued by
the Internal Revenue Department for
the sale of oleomargarine in this State
/ Ii Olli IiIo I5l udy Ol 1CJO, 10 The ISL
day of October, 1896.
| Since the LIST day of May, 1895, when
the bureau commenced the enforcement
| of the law, no oleomargarine has been
manufactured in the State, and from all
the information the bureau could obtain
there has not been to exceed 10000
| pounds of oleomargarine imported into
this State, and all of this amount was re-
| ceived in the city Of Los Angeles. From
| all the information the bureau can OBJ
| tain fully rs per cent Of that amount
was reshipped from Los Angeles to
Arizona and other places outside of this
| State.
| 1t is a well-known fact that the dairy
| men and creameryrnen of the State had
| become discouraged and fully convinced
| that butter could not be manufactured
| and compete with the unlimited sale of
oleomargarine. And it is evident, had
it not been for the timely intervention
| of legislation against the unlimited
| sale of oleomargarine and filled cheese,
| the dairy industry of the State would
| have been ruined.
RECOMMENDATIONS.
We recommend that the present law
should be amended as follows. Section =
| should read: provided, that nothing
in this section shall be construed to
prohibit the manufacture or sale, un-
der the regulations hereinafter provid-
| ed, Of substances designed to be used as
a substitute for butter or cheese, in a
separate and distinct form, and in such
manner as will advise the consumer of
its real character, free from coioration
or ingredient that causes 1t to look like
| butter or cheese made from pure milk
| or cream
The law, by its enforcement, has been
a great benefit to the dairy industry OF
the State. The next Legislature should
pass law making the bureau a perma- i
nent commission. AS the law now
stands the bureau will cease to exist on
the 1st day OF July, 1897.
FILLED CHEESE.
| Our agent has visited a large number
of places where cheese was manufact-
ured, and found only one factory that
had made filled cheese since the law
came into effect; this factory was in Los
Angeles County. Our agent stated to
| the proprietor that he had been in
formed that he had manufactured filled
| cheese since the present law came into
| effect. The proprietor OF the factory
frankly admitted that he had made a
! small lot on an order and shipped it to
Arizona, but had not made any to be sold
in the State, and in the future would not