Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-04
READY TO TESTIFY
Small Dealers in 0leomargarine Are
Growing Frightened.
THEY we're PROMISED PROTECTION
The Wholesale Dealers Cannot
Keep That Agreement.
INTERESTIN INSTANCES

The developments regarding the viola
tons of the oleomargsrine laws which
have been made In the past few days. and
which will be reinforced by further matter
of the same character, have inspired the
smaller dealers who have been selling oleo-
margarine through the representation that
1T was genuine butter to look about for the
best means to protect themselves when
they are brought to trial Many of them
are now perfectly willing to take the wit
ness stand and tell the whole story of the
transactions that have been going on for
months between the wholesale dealers in
the product from whom they secured their
supplies and themselves. 1t is WELL
known fact to those who have Investigated
the subject. including the authorities of the
United States internal revenue bureau, that
the wholesale dealers in oleomargarine
have constantly and persstently extended
their trade among the retail dealers here
by promising the latter that they would
be fully and amply protected If they sold
marks provided by law and pure butter.
The retail dealers were told that they
would not be bothered by the agents of the
internal revenue office stationed in this
city. and that If they were caught in the
violation OF the law they would De subject
ed to no expense.
The Protection Does Not Protect.
These small dealers now find that all
these representations no matter how good
a foundation they might have rested upon
some time ago, cannot be carried out, and
a number of them are ready and willing to
make a clean breast of the whole thing. A
vigorous and searching investigation, such
as proper prosecution of the cases now
In the hands of the district attorney, Will
result in. would show that the ramifica-
lions of this system of imposition extends
to all parts OF the District and affects the
people in every section Of it. Dealers in all
these sections have been engaged in buy
ing oleomargarine at oleomargarine prices.
stripping 1t of all vestige of the marks that
would show it's real character and selling
II to customers as butter, in the imagined
security which the representations of the
wholesale dealers above described afforded
them.
Some Instances I'm Point.
Sometimes some of these dealers got
frightened, but their fears were quickly al
iayed. The Star has in it's possession num-
bers of we'll authenticated instances of this
sort, Of which 1t is merely necessary to men,
ton two or three. A dealer on ~. street
southwest was selling cleomargarine last
fall without license. A special agent who
is connected with the local branch of the
internal revenue Cffice here bought some of
the article from this dealer and had it
analysed. The wholesale man from whom
the dealer had purchased the supply OF
oleonargarlne bought the latter n retail
license and the case was never pushed. An
other dealer whose pla ce was located in the
southeast section of the city, got fright
ened and .old the wholesale dealer who
supplied him with oleomargarine that an
internal revenue man hal been IL his place.
The wholesaler asked the retailer for de-
scrirtion of this man, and when 1t was CIV
en-, the retailer was assured that he would
never be troubled again, and he was not.
Still another case occurred in the northeast
section, where a dealer ordered butter from
q wholesale firm, whose chief line of goods
consisted Of oleomarSarine.
Given OleO. for Butter.
The dealer was honest IN his belief that
he had received butter, and the three tubs
of the article which was supplied to him
had no marks or other means to show that
their contents were not pure butter The
retailer sold some to 4 customer, who found
1t was oleomargarine. Thereupon the mer-
chant took samples of the stuff himself to
chemist on Capitol HILL who found that
1T was really Oleomargarine The merchant
then sent for the wholesale dealer from
whom he had secured the three tubs, and
the latter replaced the oleo with pure but
ter. receipted the merchants bill and asked
him TO keep quiet about the matter.
On the evening of aSturday, the 21st of
December. firm doing business in the K
street market sold 10 the keeper of din
ing room what was represented to be but
ter. The dining room proprietor discovered
1t was oleomargarine and went back to the
place whence he had procured it and de-
manded butter. He was then reluctantly
informed that the firm did not have any
butter. These are only a few instances that
show the manner in which the Illicit trade
in oieomargarine has been conducted in
Washington. TIE internal revenue bureau
authorities are perfectly familiar with the
facts In all these cases mentioned, but ap-
pear 10 be anxious to make cases against
local wholesale dealers Of greater magni-
tude, SO far as the department. is concern
ed. than those which they have already
made within the District. This is very
COOL thing, of course, but the desire to
make big cases, in the opinion of great
masly people who are interested in the mat
ter, should not prevent the prosecution of
the numerous little ones, as they are call
ed. whose aggregate is enormous, when
the imposition practiced by the principals
in them is taken into conSider2t ton.
COnSressmen Are Taking Interest,
a nUnb Der of Congressman are taking a
great deal of interest in the determined
stand which The Evening Star has taken
On the subject of having the oleomarga-
rine laws observed in the District, and this
is especially the case with those Represen-
tdtiNeS WHO Hd'c large garry interests IN
their districts. The future conduct of the
cases already made against thesalieged vio-
lators of these laws. therefore, will be
closely watched. and with a view to action
being taken by Congress in case such a
course seems necessary.
A great deal of curiosity exists among
those who have been investiga ting the mat
ter here as to what became of the speci-
mems of the product sold as butter to rep
resehtatives of the local internal revenue
branch last fall. One of these officials it
was Mr. Farrell-stated that he mad Sc
cured one hundred samples, of which lie
was sure at least one-half were oleomarga>
rine- II lis statement was correct il would
De interesting to know where the samples
are or what became of them, as Commis
sioner of Internal Revenue Miller assured
reporter for The Star that his depart-
ment had received nothing of this sort
from its local branch
For the Mauaasns Scbnnv