Evening star., 1897-04-12
practice that shows the confidence they
evidently feel in the powers that are be-


evidently feel in the powers that are be-
hind them.
All Regulations Ignored Completely.
The persons who deal in oleomargarine in
the markets of this city coolly ignore the
| regulations of the Treasury Department
which prescribe that no subterfuges in the
shape Of misleading signs shall be placed
on stands where the stuff is sold and which
direct other requirements that must be
complied with. These regulations were for
mulated and issued by the department
year or more ago, but were never COM
! piled with wholly, and are now not re-
gar1ed any more than If they had never
existed. The special agent Of the internal
revenue bureau stationed at the local Of
flee whose sworn duty 1t is to enforce the
regulations has not done so, ana there seems
to be a general laxity in the same regard
On the part of the officials connected with
the branch of the internal revenue dis
trict embracing the District.
The regulations of the Washington Mar
ket Company relating to the sale of but
terine are apparently treated with the same
disdain. In September, 1896, letter was
sent by Mr.. Percy S. Smith, clerk of the
Center market, to all dealers in butter and
butterine doing business in. the market
The following is a copy of 1t:
"WASHNGTON. D. c., Sept. Is. 1896.
Dear Sir As an occupant of stand in ;he s, Ger
beg to quote to you for your instruction and guild
ance the following vote OF the board OF directors
:" Voted, That the president and other officers of
the company hereby directed to prevent butter
and and compel each deaer selling butierine to show
by proper signs what he is selling and who is the
The wisdom of this is apparent, and it is be-
lieved that you and all other dealers in butter or
accrue to ali interests and aid in this matter the
the public"
1t is declared to be an undenable. fact,
however, that in spite of this action
butter and butterlne are now being sold
in come cases from the same stand in the
Center market. This condition has been
called to the attention of President NJ. G..
Emery of the Washington Market Com
pany. and some action will probably be
taken to compel the dealers to carry out
the order above quoted.
The Power Behind the Dealers.
The general impression prevails that the
real power behind the oleomargarine men
in the east is exerted by the great firms
in Chicago which manufacture the stuff.
They are aware that the District of Co
lumbia is an ideal spot under present con-
ditions for a central distributing point
from which the product, after the tubs,
packages and boxes containing it have had
oil the revenue stamps and legal marks
distinguishing it carefully scraped off can
be shipped into the states of Virginia
Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylva-
mia.
Not very long ago a shipment was made
down the river to merchants in Charles
county and special treasury agents, in
stead of seizing 1t here on the boat, al
lowed it to reach its destination and then
arrested the dealers to whom it was sent.
These cases probably thave been or will be
&C compromised. About year ago shipment
of oleomargarine was made from this city to
Stulze & Co., commission firm in Wheel
ing. Representatives of the firm claim
that genuine butter was ordered. Whether
this Is correct Or not the fact remains
that Stulze & Co. were charged with the
illegal sale of oleomargarine by internal
revenue agents and paid into the treasury
as q compromise sum said to be in the
neigkborhood of $500. 1t is also de-
clared that this sum or a similar amount
was repaid to the Wheeling firm by the
Washington parties who shipped them the
stuff, after the legal representative of the
firm had threatened legal proceedings for
recovery, with all the publicity that such
course would assure.
: Significant Testimony Undisputed.
1t will be remembered that two former
employees Of the firm of wilkins & Co. tes-
titled at the trial Of the members of that
firm in December last, when they were ar
rsigned on the charge of having furnished
the Boys Reform School with oleomarga-
rine for genuine butter. that they had fre-
quently while working for the firm assist
ed in stripping packages of oleomargarine
of their distinguishing legal marks, and
named the places where such operations
had been carried on as being in the cars
and In stable. No testimony was present
ed by the defendants to offset this evidence.
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue For
man, in his recent interview with The Star
reporter, laid considerable stress on the
fact that wilkins & Co. had offered $l,0OO
to have this reform school case compro-
missed, but that 1t was put to trial, and the
defen6auts acquitted. The government.
howevar Was unable To ahow af sfha trial
made.
The reform school case. however, was not
made through the agency Of the Treasury
Department, and the internal revenue
ONCE had nothing to do with It The testi-