Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-01-11

ter is solely used. Very often extracts
of animal fats arc used, but when prop
erly prepared are said to be entirely
Objectionable from hygienic stand
point. The fact of the matter Is that
these prepared buffers are so much like
the genuine article in appearance that
it is difficult to distinguish the differ
ence, and imagine that tho majority
Of people who eat olcomargarine do so
under the impression that they are eat
ing butter made entirely from the milk
of the COW.
There is no harm done except when
the manufacture is dishonest, but in
these days the adulteration of food is
carried to such an extent that 1t is inn
possible, even with large purse, to
escape using them in some measure.
The only way to do, think, is to trust
that we will be saved from such risks,
just as we do in the case of risks OF
travel and the other misfortunes which
are likely to befall us all.
The small farmers and dairymen OF
the western states, even under existing
laws, complain to their senators and
representatives that the artificial but
ter is sold in small packages by retail
dealers in country stores ut such low
prices that they have almost no mar
ket for their little surplus of genuine
butter which formerly afforded rev.
enue upon which they had long depend
ed as n part of the annual incomes of
their farms and retail business ven-
lures. In order to give these citizens
some protection Senator Henderson,
of Nebraska, in the last congress intro
duced and urged the passage of bill
which provided that "nll loleomargarine
shall be packed by the manufacturer in
firlins, tubs or other packages of wood
or tin, each containing not less than
one pound, marked, stamped and
branded as the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue shall prescribe; and all
sales shall be in original stamped
packages" The bill also provided for
tax of two cents per pound on all oleo-
margarine manufactured and offered
for sale.
The bill was designed to raise revenue
for the government from the enormous
sales of oleomargarine, and also to
make it apparent to every purchaser
of an original package of one pound OF
the compound that he was buying
oleomargarine, and not pure butter. 1t
was expected that this measure would
prevent the sale of ten-pound pack
ages of oleomargarine and the subse-
quent retail of the compound in small
er packages without disclosing the
character of the compound to the pur-
chaser. In this way the retail dealer
would be circumscribed in his efforts
to sell the manufactured product under
false pretenses, and thereby the small
dealer in pure butter would have an
opportunity to get n better price for his
product. The bill did not become a law
but similar bill will be introduced in
the next congress, and pressed for pas
sage. Senators and representatives are
receiving letters from farmers and
snail dairymen urging the enactment
of such law; and something may rea.
sonably be expected from the next con
gress.
Of course those farmers and small
dairymen who have access to the large
markets need no protection of this ma
ture. Their pure butter commands g
good price, and there is great demand
for it. But the farmer who only has
butter for sale once a month knows
nothing of the speculative character ol
the market, or else his product is sc
small annually that he cannot afford
to reach out for the metropolitan mar