The record-union., 1896-11-22
IMPORTANT TO DAIRYMEN.
Protection Against AduIteration Of But
ter and Cheese.
What the State Dairy Bureau Has
to Report as to Its
Operations.

bureau has been received by the Gov
ernor. The members of the bureau are
L. Tomasini, Thomas Flint and George
w. Burbank, and We're appointed
March 20, 1895, when they met, organ
lied, and by resolution issued circular
TO the press of the State, containing
notice to the public embodying the en-
forcement of the Act passed by the
Legislature to prevent deception IN the
manufacture and sale of butter and
cheese, and containing the principal
features of the law.
OBJECT OF THE LAW.
The object of the law in establishing
the bureau, says the report, was to pre-
vent deception in the manufacture ana
sale of butter and cheese, and for that
purpose the Legislature appropriated
for the use of the bureau, to enforce the
law, the sum of 81 900 for the unex-
pired portion of the forty-sixth fiscal
year. ending June 80, 1895; $4,000 for
the forty-seventh fiscal year, ending
June 80, 1896; $1,000 for the forty
eighth fiscal year, ending June ~,
1897.
Our agent has devoted his whole time
in attending to the office work of the
bureau, and travelling around the State,
visiting creameries and dairies to as
certain if any fraudulent dairy prod
ucts were manufactured; also, to see
that dealers in dairy products complied
with the requirements of the present
law. He has procured, from time to
time, samples of suspicious-looking
butter and cheese, and has had micro
scopic tests and analyses made of the
same, as will fully appear in another
part of this report.
Our agent has endeavored by al
means in his power to ascertain where
fraudulent dairy products were manu-
factured or sold. And for that pur-
pose the members of the bureau, with
their agent, went to the Western Meat
Company's plant, at South San Fran
cisc--this company being the only man
ufacturer of oleomargarine and butter
Inc in the State-and informed the su-
perintendent of the plant that the OBJ
ject of their visit was to look after the
manufacture of oleomargine. The SUI
perintendent very willingly went with
the party through the plant, especially
the department where oleomargine had
been manufactured. The implements
and utensils of all kinds used in the
manufacture of oleomargarine had
been removed and stored away. The
superintendent stated that no oleomar-
garine or butterine had been manufac-
tured since the law came into effect,
and the company had decided not to
manufacture any more in the future,
and had Cancelled their United States
manufacturers license for the sale Of
oleomargarine. Our agent has since
that time made visits TO the Western
Meat Companys plant, and found that
no oleomargarine had been manufac
tured since the members of the bureau
were there.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC GIVES AID.
The members of the bureau, with
their agent, went to the Office of the
Southern Pacific Company, and re-
quested Of them the privilege Of ex-
amining the manifests of the ship
ments, or to be informed, from day to
day. of the arrivals of dairy products
from other States, and to whom con-
signed. as it is difficult to find out
where dairy products go after arrival
and are distributed to consignees. The
railroad company, after considering
the request of the bureau, sent the fol-
lowing reply:
v
ferring to conversation in this office
when we had the pleasure of meeting
you and members of the State Dairy
Bureau, your request that the bureau
be informed of the arrivals in this city
from day to day, Of butter and cheese
from other States, or have advice as to
who are consignees from time to time,
Of butter and cheese shipments from the
East, has received our careful consider
alton, but regret to say that, while we
recognize the laudable purpose of the
request, our obligations as common
carriers forbid our giving information
as TO the business of our patrons. It
is only mandatory requirements under
the laws, or regular legal proceedings,
that we are justified In giving third par
ties information pertaining to the busi-
ness Of shippers or consignees, but as
a voluntary matter on our part we could
not justify it, either as a matter of poll
icy or with respect ito the patrons whose
business with us we would thus vol
unfairly expose to parties whose in
terests may be antagonistic to theirs, or
may be, possibly, in some cases, even to
their competitors.
Please accept our thanks for your pa
tient and careful presentation of your
wishes in the matter, which, from a
personal standpoint, it would be graf
flying to comply with could we con-
sistently do so. Yours truly,
&C. F. SMURR,
General Freight Agent"
Our agent, with the assistance of the
bureau, has looked after shipments OF
oleomargarine by rail from the East
to San Francisco. No shipments have
been found, except few small lots. all
marked as the law directs, for export
to Honolulu and other foreign ports.
and reshipped on steamers as directed.
Our agent also went 10 the United
States Internal Revenue Office in the
city of San Francisco, and asked the
privilege of examining the monthly re-
turns of all oleomargaTrine dealers, to
ascertain to whom oleomargarine was
sold. (rhe o1eomargarine law requires
all manufacturers, wholesale and retail
dealers, to make monthly reports on the
first day Of each and every month. un-
der oath, TO the United States Revenue
Collector showing, in detail, the num-
Der of packages and pounds Of oleomar-
garine disposed OF, with the name and
address of each person 10 whom sold OF
consigned) The Internal Revenue off,
GERS replied that they We're not permit
ted no allow any person TO examine the
monthly returns of oleomargarine deal
ers. They We're only authorized to al
low persons to examine the records OF
licenses, to whom and where issued.
Taking this view Of the case, the
Agent and Secretary of the bureau adj