Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-13
ARE FIGHTING IHE LAN'
lOleomargarine Interests Putting
Laws Against Making Imitation
Butter to Severe Test.
Claim That Their Product May Have
Natural Yellow Color Are
Closely Watched,
Wennerstrom' Candidacy For ottice
ofLabor Commissioner he Sa.
loon and Mulct Law.
) Tinls s-Renuhlican,

Special to IifneS-Republican
Des Moines, Dec. 1.-THE laws
against the sale of colored oleomarga-
dergoing a severe test. The great in
terests that are making money out of
the violation of these laws are sprepar-
ing to fight them with every means tha
money can employ. The only licensed
dealers in oleomargarine are at Council
Bluffs and Missouri Valley. Dairy
Commissioner Norton, who is keeping
a close watch on the business, knows
| this because he4is informed by the rec
orcls of the United States internal reve-
nue. office. He is now permitted to see
what dealers have taken out licenses
I to sell oleomargarine. though he is not
permitted to have the reports of ship
lments, required by law. When man
isufacturer of oleomargarine makes a
shipment he must give the local reve-
nue. officer a copy OF the bill of lading.
| which is sent to the revenue office of
| the district into which the stuff is be-
i ing shipped. This is done So that the
revenue collector may watch to see If
any sales are made contrary to law.
/ Thus the government has a perfect
check upon the product and dealers
cannot safely avoid the expense of a
I.license.
The prohibition against selling oleo-
margarine colorsd in imitation of but
ter. or having a yellow color" is the
vital part of the state law. IL the stuff
| must be- white it is difficult to sell it
4 for butter or to deceive anyone into be-
llieving he is eating butter when he is
| being fed on cleosnargarine 1t is on
lthis ground that Commissioner Norton
has been getting convictions all sum
mer where oleomargarine was being
i used by various kinds of boarding
houses or contractors boarding work
a ing men Now at Council Bluffs it is
4 proposed by the big packing house
y that ia Interested to resist the law on
1.-the ground that their oleomargarlne Is
4 not celored; that no coloring matter is
being used but only the legitimate in
gradients of the article. which give 1t
somewhat of a yellow color. Itis true
: that cotton seed oil and some other for
eign substances that may be used in
II the manufacture of imitation butter do
give it little yellow color without the
q addition of any regular butter color
But the contention of the dairy COM
missioner is that this does not make
4 any difference. it is a violation of the
g law just the same. because t Is lmita-
4 ton butter having a yellow COLOR
The constitutionality OF this interpre-
lta,ion of the law is now being disputed
by the manufacturers and ii they ars
successful the anti-color law Will not
!, be worth anything. Coloring viii bs
done in a way to avoid the law anf
there will be comparatively little tc
hinder the substitution OF oleomar'
garine for butter.
The law against the adulteration o
milk is being stubbornly contested il
!, Des NIoines. a dealer was arrested fol
G putting boracic acid in his milk to pre-
e serve it. He resisted the right Of th'
: state to punish him for so doing an'
: fell back upon the concern that soil
e him the compound. agreeing to protec
I him from the penalties of using IL. Th
n claim was made that the substance wa
e not harmful. The state claimed that
I was harmful. and that if ii was not
the law still prohibits putting anythin
e in the milk that is sold. regarding tn
e addition of anything as aduteratior
: This view was sustained by the justic
of the peace before whom the prelimi
y nary examination occurred. and whe
= the case reached the district court tn
y Jury found the dealer guilty all !
8 spite of the eminent legal counse
II brought from Chicago by the manufac
L turers. Now they have moved for
q new trial. claiming this interpretatio
II of the law is unconstitutional and tina
y the only point to be determined
$. whether or not the substance placed j
l. the milk was harmful. If this view 9
l. the law is sustained by the suprenl
is court. before which the question wi
IS be finally decided, no matter how Judg
Bishop holds in the district court,
u. will practically kill the milk inspectio
st law. which has accomplished so muc
u. good in the state. II a milk dealer
ft allowed to put one thing in his milk, I
D one can guess what he will put in mex
n and that without fear of punishment.
id There is no ground for the claim ths
a the COMMITTEES of the Grand Army
n the Republic that made the usual al
"a nual inspection of the Soldiers Hon
ne will have anything to say in its repo
~ against the management of the Hon
a. by the board of control. On the col
n trary there Is every reason to eNpe
that the committee Will report that'it
IS. Well satisfied that 1t learned that ii
of old soldiers who are being cared f,
there are getting more and better ca
of than they ever got before. The con
of mittee may not go that far in its repol
te which Will be made public in a. fe
a. days. but such is the fact, and no OF
h. knows 1t better than the members
that committee.
~ The candidacy of Mr.. Wennerstrol
- the Fort DoGge man. for the office of i
80 Dor commissioner, appears to be gai
ing strength. He is a Swede and h
:, some very strong support, includil
some very respectable following amol
the labor organizations, to one of viii
he belongs. He is offensive to no OF
m His appointment would be an excelle
Il one politically, and he has the nece
sary qualifications to perform the d
y. s.s - :. Il y Z, t