The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-11-17

State Dairy Commissioner E A. McDon-
aid is hot after half-dozen restaurant
keepers for alleged violation OF the act
prohibiting the sale Of oieomargarine in
imitation OF butter. The law was passed
by the legislature Al the sessions OF 1881
ard 1925 I. was designed to prctec, the
dalrysng industry.
Commissioners Mcdonald arrived here
Monday, having information that . num-
Der OF the restaurants Of the city were
not complying with the law AID were sell
ing CLEO to their customers as butter. He
Immediately began an inspection OF the
various places in the city. with the result
that he now has on hand some twenty five
samples o. butter sold In the city, among
them six samples of oieo.
The matter has been brought to the at
tention Of Prosecuting Attorney McElroy.
and II Is probabis that informations viii
be lodged against the guilty parties.
II appears that in some cases the res
taurant-keepers did not deny that they
were selling oleo as butter. They said that
they believed they were keeping within the
letter and meaning Of the law Mr.. Melon
aid says that the violations of the dairy act
have been open ard conspicuous. He be-
lieves that il is best to discourage the prae-
tice OF selling imitation butter in the eat
lighthouses, and 50 has determined 10 push
the prosecution OK the cases which have
come to his official notice.
The Law.
tha Gala ~ ofoa ytunra
substances contains the following Ian
guage:
mo person shall SELL supply or offer for
sale any oleaginous substance or any COM
pound OF the same purpoT ing 10 DC put
ter or cheese. other than that produces
from wholesome and unadulterated milk
or cream. unless the said o!easinous SUD
stance and the package containing the
same shall De marked SO as TO PLAINLY .nol-
cafe the character and distinguish i, from
pure and genuine dairy products; ana IN
any public dining or eating room Where
imitation dairy product or PRODUCTS arc
commonly or knowingly used as an article
OF food, the bill-of-fare used In such dining
or eating room shall state the fact In the
same sized type as Is used in printing me
body OF the bill-of-fare. or IL no bsll-or-
fare Is used. then In conspicuous place
OF said dining or eating room easily 70 be
seen by any one entering said room shall
be posted notice stating the name or
names OF such imitation dairy products"
Another section Of the code Is designed
to prevent the sale IN any hotel or res
taurant OF any article made wholly or in
part Of any fat. oil or oleaginous SUBJ
stance not produced wholly from adul-
terated milk or cream. which shall be in
imitation Of yellow butter produced from
pure milk OF cream.
Violation Of the statute entails fine OF
not less than SIS nor more than 500. and
imprisonment for not less than one nor
moro than three months in jail
Dairy Commissioner Mcdonald said he
was not at liberty TO give the names OF
the restaurants which he found were SELL
ing oleo in place OF butter. He said that
the evidence bad been laid before the
prosecuting attorney. who would take ths~
necessary steps to bring about convic-
ton OF the guilty parties.
Protection Of Dairymcn.
"sfy purpose" said Mr.. Mcdonald, is
10 bring about cessation Of this business.
The act Is designed for tho protection OF
tbs farmers and dairymen Of the state.
The traffic In oleo and butterine IS q d.
rect blow at one Of the great Industries OF
the state. The law In Washington is very
strict on the subject. It prevents the sale
OF oleo in any but Its original form and
color. and provides a penalty for one TO
color II In imitation OF butter or to sell or
have in his possession the colored arti-
Gle for sale.
THE restaurant men who sell butterine
and cleo instead OF butter make no great
saving individually. but II the traffic was
allowed to grow and increase. It would
seriously affect the production and sale OF
real butter"
The majority of the restaurants inspect
ed and found to have oleo on their tables
In place OF butter are situated In the lower
part or the city and their meals sell for
from 10 TO Is cents on an average Two
or three OF the places visited were con.
Quoted by Japanese. In all six OF the res
taurants visited by Commissioner McDon-
aid, where he found the oIeo. no conceal
uient of the fact was made by the proprie-
tors. 1t is fair TO presume that they did
not know the law. although this will not
save them from prosecution.
recent number OF the Pacific Coast
nairyman contained a rather savage at
tack on the Puget Sound university. at
Tacoma for allowing the importation OF
cleo from Kansas City for use in the din
ing room connected with the school. Mr.
Mcdonald was asked as to this case He
said
Soma time ago a shipment OF cleo was
received at Tacoma from an Eastern CITY
addressed 10 the Puget Sound university.
I inspected the shipment and seized r.
finding that the CLEO was coiored 70 int
tate butter, I'm violation % the law IN this
state. ! Immediately took the matter I'D
with the board Of trustees OF the univer-
slty. They disclaimed all knowledge OF
the transaction and seemed to greatly re-
sret the unfortunate position in which
thev had been placed, II seemed that Mr..
Johnson. who has charge OF the boarding
department. received a circular from an
cleo manufacturing establishment Of Kan
sas City. charging upon the merits oe that
compound ga m article OF Diet and sub
stitute for butter. A trial order was co.
hcited. ard Mr.. Johnson. perhaps heliev-
ing that hs was saving the institution a
Few dollars, ordered the stuff. I seized
and DESTROYED it. ! do not believe that
.ae trustees knowingly consented TO a vio-
lafion OF the law"
Why stand around idise Earn a grub
stake and receive q free ticket 20 tina