Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-02-12
FRAUD ON WISCONSIN.
BanefUl Effect of Filled Cheese
Shipments on a Great
Industry.

Madison, Wis, Feb 6.-[Special /
At the session of the State Agricultural
society this morning, W. A. Henry, dean
of the college of agriculture at the state
university, gave an address on "The Ne
cessity of Immediate Legislation for the
Protection of Our Cheese Industry"
He cited the fact that in 1880 the United
States exported cheese to the value of
$12,17O,O 600, and in 1894 to the value of
but S1,1SO,OOO, a decrease of 40 per
cent, while in the same years Canada
exported in 1880 cheese to the value of
$3,9OO,O0O, and in 1894 $15,5O0,0OO, an
found the explanation of these anoma-
lous conditions in the reports of Consul
Neal at Liverpool, Consul r. J. Mac
Bride at Leith, and in an advance copy
of the secretary of agriculture at Wash
lngton, all to the effect that the importa-
ton of filled cheese into Great Britain
has become so marked and SO deleteri-
Gus to the trade in United States cheese
that the association of provision deal
ers in Glasgow and Liverpool have
memorlaliZed the Legislature of Wiscon-
sin to enact laws or to provide some
means to prevent these filled cheese be-
inc nassed off upon dealers and consum-
ers for other than they really are. Con-
sui MacBride quotes Mr.. Osborne's sug-
gested remedy before the select com
mittee of the House of Commons that
foreign governments should be made
responsible for the quality of the article
shipped"
If" Mr.. Henry said ''we could hon
estly state that the United States was
consuming homemade cheese in much
larger quantities than ever before, there
ml"ht be some consolation to set over
against all of this blacklisting from 9TH
er countries. But such is not the case
ErOm consumers hprn hpar
grumblings and complaints that our
cheese is not what it used to be, that
one cannot now find a good piece of
cheese when he calls for it, etc, etc.
Filled cheese skim cheese, poorly made
cheese and dirty cheese have apparently
entered into a trust to ruin the cheese
market and oblterate even themselves
in the end.
Though the manufacture of filled
cheese in this state was absolutely pro-
hibited by our last Legislature, and
though there is DO filled cheese being
manufactured in our state at this time
so far as Commissioner Adams is aware
our dairy interests are still suffering i'm
menSely because of the fraudulent use
made of it by the dealers in filled
cheese. Filled cheese in enormous
quantities is manufactured in Northern
Illinois at creameries where the skim
milk is compounded with lard and cotton
seed oil for this purpose" He proved
the fraud being pra cticed on the name of
Wisconsin by quoting letters from deal
ers showing that product bearing the
stamp of the wisconsin state cheese
Inspector was being sold guaranteed to
be hrst-class, at 712 cents per pound,
when it is wPll-knOwn there is no such
officer as a Wisconsin state cheese in
spectOr.
AS a remedy Mr.. Henry called atten-
ton to the bills introduced in Congress
hr- tot N,,l
ing. the former providing that filed
cheese be placed in the same category as
oleomargarine, that all factories where
it is manufactured be licensed. the prod
uct taxed. and that all compound cheese
shall carry distinctive label; Mr. Sau-
erhering's bill providing among other
things that each state secure from the
treasury department of the United
States & state trade mark; and he urged
every person attending the convention to
write to his member of Congress urging
the pressure of these or similar meas
uroS.