Evening star., 1897-03-29
GENERAL INTEREST
The Offer to Compromise Alleged 0leo-
margarine Law Violations.
PRESSURE ON COMMISSIONER rORMAN
State and National Dairy Men
Watching Wilkins s-ButIer Case.
A REVIEW OF CONDITIONS

The authorities of the internal revenue
bureau have not yet reached final de-
cision on the offer submitted by represen-
tatives Of Joseph Wilkins and Howard
Butler to pay a large sum Of money into
the treasury In return for having the GRIM
inal prosecution now pending against the
men In Philadelphia dropped. The case is
a familiar one. Special Agents Bowen and
Van Horn of the internal revenue office
arrested Wilkins and Butler in this city
on a charge of having removed the legal
stamps and distinguishing marks from
tubs and packages containing several thou
sand pounds of oleomargarine in a ware
house ir Philadelphia. Bowen and Van
Horn charged that they watched the men
the stamps ard other marks; waited until
they had treated all the tubs and packages
as described and then stepped out from
their places Of concealment and confront
ed Wilkins and Butler. at the same time
seizing the tools used in the scraping and
the remains of the destroyed stamps. The
arrests followed in this city three days
after the alleged events occurred. and VIII
kins and Butler were held by U. S. Com
missioner s. c. Mills under 81 600 bonds to
appear in Philadelphia.
The two men were subsequently indicted
in Philadelphia and a day set for their
trial They did not appear when called
and bench warrants were issued for their
arrest ard sent to United States Marshal
A. A. Wilson here for service. Owing to
the fact. according to Marshal Wilson,
that Wilkins was engaged in business here
and promised to appear for trial in Phila-
delphia when wanted, the warrants were
not served.
Meantime the internal revenue authori-
ties had received the offer to compro-
mise the case, the amount offered, 1t is
said. being $4,000.
Upon learning of this a Star reporter
called on Commissioner of Internal Reve-
nue. Forman, who said an offer to COM
promise the cases against Wilkins and But
Ter had been made and was under con-
sideration by his department, and that
the case vas being held up for investiga-
ton to ascertain whether 1t would be ad
visable to agree to the compromise.
Widespread Interest.
The publication of these facts in The
Evening Star attracted widespread notice
among the dairy interests of the country,
which have suffered so severely by the
continued ard persistent violations of the
oleomargarine laws by the dealers in oleo-
margarine, and the National Dairy Union
by its officers took active measures to pre-
vent the compromise from being accepted.
The oleOmargarine interest also developed
additional energy in their efforts to have
the offer on behalf Of Wilkins and Butler
accepted.
1t is probable that the attention of Presi-
dent Mckinley himself will be called to the
matter before final settlement of it is
reached, as Secretary of Agriculture Will
son, who IS a representative man of the
dairy interests, has received urgent ap-
peais to interest himself and prevent COM
promise of a case which embraces an al
legged violation of the oleomargarine laws
more fragrant. as claimed by internal reve-
nue. officers of long experience, than any
On record in the department.
The dairy commissioners of the various
states are taking active steps to have the
law enforced. and this is especially true of
Mr.. w. w. Boardman. dairy commissioner
of Iowa, who has written strong letter to
the Secretary of Agriculture on the subject
The National Dairy Union, through its
secretary. d. w. Wilson of Elgin, ILL.,; its
vice presidents. James Hewes of Baltimore
W. D. Edison OF Philadelphia and other
officials, are bringing great pressure to
besr on Commissioner Forman.
What n Compromise VIII Mean.
The general impression prevailing among
those interested in the upholdng of the
oleomargarine laws is that compromise
Of the case under consideration will serve
to encourage the continued violation of the
statutes and of the regulations of the
Treasury Department, which the United
States Supreme Court in the recent cases
of kollock Lusby and others, who were
convicted in the District Criminal Court
virtually declared were as binding as the
statutes themselves. A compromise would
also have the effect it is believed, of max
ing the special agents of the internal rev.
enue bureau. whose duty it is to discover
violations of the laws in question to be-
come careless and lose all interest in their
work. because they would feel that no
matter how jealous and watchful they
might be. their efforts would prove fruit
less, save only perhaps to add few dol
lars occasionally to the fraud fund of the
internal revenue. bureau.
In the interview between The Star re-
porter and Commissioner Forman regard
Joseph Wilkins and Howard Butler to
compromise the Philadelphia case Com
missioner Forman took occasion to
strongly emphasize the fact that the
internai revenue bureau was not pref
udiced in favor of the oleomargarine
men, This may be true as far as the pol-
Icy OF the bureau is concerned. but it is a
notorious fact that on many occasions in
the past, especially within the last eighteen
months or two years, the oleomargarine
men have been Informed of the intentio
OF the internal revenue authorities to pro-
ceed against them for projected violations
oi tne law sufneiently long enough in ad-
vance to allow them to change the base of
their operations ~
oieomargarine was being stripped of its
stamps and other distinguishing marks
- "iuei thdt IL might DC sold for genuine
butter at two well-known points on the
baltimore and Ohio road last year. Bruins
wick and Shenandoah Junction The work
was being done at night, and in the cars
| in which the stuff was shipped. The in.
ternal revenue bureau was informed OF
this. and special agents were sent to the
places The strippers, however, had got.
ten wind of their coming, and NOTHING
| was discovered.
| another case occurred here in Washing.
| ton, at the Baltimore and Ohio Yards
car containing large number of tubs OF
| oleomargarine. which had been striI nee
| OF stamps and distinguishing marks. was
| actually in the hands of internal revenue
| specials By some means or other the spe
| Gals were gotten away from the car 10,
a short time. and when they returned tht
| car was gone!
| The recent payment of the fines imposed
on dealers convicted here in Washington
| and the serving of the short terms of i'm
| prisonment in jail by the convicted par
| ties, are declared to be a sufficient an
| swer to the argument of the Internal rev
| enue authorities that it is better to accep
| compromises from those charged with yfo
| latfng Oleomargarine laws than It is Il
| put them on trial and run the risk of al
| acquittal. The fact Is well known tha
the oleomargarine dealers are afraid @
| only one thing In prosecutions. and that Il
the publicity given to their methods, b,
i of rto orA 81