The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-19
THEY SELL OLEo FOR BUTTER.
And the Savannahinn Thinks 1t the
Kind His Mother Used to Make.

kilograms from Atlanta that have APP
peared lately in the Morning News, have
stated the position of the dairymen of
the state in the fight they are making
for a reform in the pure food laws, to the
end that the sale of adulterated butter
and the substitution of oleomargarine for
butter may be discontinued.
1t has been stated that much of what
is referred TO in the vernacular as butter
is in reality cheap grade of butterine
or oieomargarine, and that 1t is quite GUS
tomary for dealers whose acquaintance
with the truth is only casual and Incl
dental to pass Off the manufactured prod
uct as the real article. 1t has even been
said, on the alleged authority of a Sa-
vannah groceryman, that three fourths of
what is sold as butter is oleomargarinh
aud not very good article of it. at that
The Savannah grocerymen, when talked
to about the matter, manifest no over
whelming desire to discuss Its details.
Ihey all admit that oeomargarine is sold
as butter In many cases. some of them
contend to the real advantage of the pur-
CHASER, but none of them want to say Just
now ana when and where it is done. At
that important stage in the game they
are attacked by a spell of reticence or
modesty and refuse to tell what they seem
to know we'll enough. 1t is probably he
cause they are not in a condition to prove
absolutely all they have every reason to
conclude TO be the fact, that they are thus
taoiturn on the subject
Ihere are in the city quite large num-
Der of wholesale and retail dealers in
oieomargarine. The national government
q
ana stamp their product with its trade
name 1t Is probable that the whole
salers comply with this condition, but that
some of the retailers forget to do it. At
any rate, they neglect to inform their
customers of just exactly what they are
buying. so the counterfeit of butter is
passed on, until il reaches the table of
the unsuspecting, who uses 1t In the fond
bellef that he is partaking of creamery
butter of the finest grade. That's where
the uhsuspecting is most decidedly wrong
Inc dairymen want it rendered compul-
sorry for restaurants ahd hotels that use
olomargarine to post a sign notifying
the public of the fact. They want the
people to understand that many of those
in whom they repose sufficient confidence
10 eat what their cooks prepare are fool
ing the guileless public, and they ask tina,
the guileless public shall be shielded from
the i'll results of its own want of penetra-
ton and discernment.
Butter makers contend that their article
as the genuine and only original creation,
Should receive especial favors They de-
sire the public to have some means of de-
tectlng the true from the false, by OBJ
serving the label on the cork or through
some other equally well known and IN
derstood method. Hence, they have
brought the matter to the attention Of
various and sundry high officials, and an
nounce their intention of fighting II ont on
this line If it takes the remaining part of
this and all OF next summer.
In all seriousness, it does seem that the
man who eats at restaurant or hotel
should have some means of knowing what
he is getting, and not be forced to as
simulate into his system a product of tai
low and grease from various animals. in
the glad delusion that he is partaking of
butter, like unto the kind that his mother
used to make. That many do it as mat
ters now stand there can be no reasonable
doubt.