The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-12-08

dairymen's associations, in branches OF
the Ohio Grange, in public and in pri-
vate, in the corner grocery and by the
fireside; everywhere that farmers and
Others interested assemble in city,
town and neighborhood, until the sem
timent for honest dealing in oleomarg-
arine be crystalized and uttered in
tones that will be heard all over the
state, and until juries will no longer
dare disregard clear testimony of vic.
lation of law, and honest verdicts be
assured.
Who will fight the dairymen's bat
ties if they themselves neglect to en-
gage in this mighty contest2
The Ohio Dairy Union offers the op-
portunity for precisely the systematic
effort that is required to meet the en-
ergency. We ask the hearty co-opera-
tion of all dairymen and of all interest
ed in the result that we are trying to
secure. Membership fees for dairy
men are only fifty cents, with annual
dues for the same amount while MEM
bership is maintained. 1t is small
sum for each dairyman, but it is suffi-
cient if they generally respond. No
salaries are paid, the officers and COM
mittees rendering their services free Of
charge. We need funds to meet the
necessary expenses as such a campaign
as we are conducting. Not a dollar will
be unnecessarily expended. We need
members who will advocate the cause
of pure butter everywhere until we
have such Il public sentiment as exists
in New York where oleomargarine has
been practically banished from the
markets. The oleomargarine business
has also been practically wiped out
in Massachusetts,, Minnesota, Iowa, and
Wisconsin and to large extent in
Missouri. The dairy commissioner in
Pennsylvania, states that oleomargar-
inc has been nearly banished from
eastern Pennsylvania, but little now
being sold in that state outside of
Pittsburg and vicinity, and he declares
that he will drive it out of Pittsburg
within the next few months. Illinois
after mighty struggle with the mill
ionaire oleomargarine manufacturers
of Chicago, has ut last law forbid
ing the manufacture or sale of oleo-
margarine, if colored to initiate butter
and struggle to enforce the law is
now being made.
Shall Ohio be the last of the great
dairy states to stamp out this fraud?
The Dairy and Food Department of
Ohio was originally created at the re-
quest of the dairymen of the state and
there is no possible excuse for neglect
ing their interests now. Unfortunate
ly, however, the Dairy Department has
not received the attention from our
Commissioner that its Importance des-
erves. Some prosecutions of dealers
have been made and convictions secur-
I'd, but until recently no attempt has
been made to interfere with the un-
lawful and corrupt practices of the
manufacturing plants at Columbus
and Cleveland. The Ohio Dairy Union
has from the first, insisted that oc-
casional convictions of small dealers
could avail b9t little while the great
plants were permitted to continue the
violation of law unmolested. We have
urged that the root of this evil must
be attacked, that the manufacturers
must be compelled to ob;y the oleo-
margarine law, with the certain assur-
ance, that, if that be done, there woul,.
bebut little difficulty in suppressing
this unlawful traffic in our state en-
tirely. Representative of our Associa-
tion have frequently presented this
view to our Commissioner in personal
interviews and special committee re-
Gently visited him at his Office in Col
umbus, urgently insisting that prompt
and vigorous action be taken in this
direction. In response to our appeals
the Dairy and Food Commissioner has
made concessions and promises, that,
if carried out, will, we trust, result in
great good to the cause. He has al
ready commenced prosecutions against
the Columbus plant and will soon be-
gin against the one in Cleveland, If he
has not done so already, and he prom
ises to continue prosecutions as fast as
his chemist reports on samples taken
as basis for them.
He has also promised to appoint
man whom we will nominate, who
shall have entire charge of prosecu-
tions of violators of the oleomargarine
law in the state.
We have made grand beginning,
considering the short time that has
elapsed since our organization was
effected and in view of the situation
when we began. The Ohio Farmer is
heartily with us in this contest and is
rendering valiant service in the cause.
The dairy journals in the country gen
orally are commencing our organiza-
tion and it's work We urgently invite
all dairymen to join us at once and
give us their help. We must be in
position tI act for ourselves and with
vigor, if the Dairy ard Food depart
ment does not do all in its power to
enforce. our oleomargarine law.
Frequent reference has been made
in this paper to sale Of oleomargarine
in its own color because our law for
bids coloring it at all. We should not
object to any color that does not re-
semble butter We simply desire to
remove possibility of fraud in the sale
of the article. We ask nothing more.
The first annual meeting of our ASS
ociation will be held in Cleveiand on
Tuesday next, December 7th. We
meet at the Forest City House and, il
the number present cannot be accom-
odated there, we will adjourn to 0
suitable hall Commissioner Black
burn will be present and will report on
prosecutions, etc. Officers for the en-
suing year will be elected, committees
will be appointed and plans for the
Winters campaign will be perfected
This will be most important meeting
and all dairymen in this vicinity are
urgently requested to attend.
The open violation of our oleomar-
garine law should not be tolerated. and
II the public sentiment, which surely
av;Sta oan ha nrnnarlu arnuaph and