The Portland daily press., 1900-12-08
PASSED CIRCUIT BILL.
Oleomargarine Measure
Adapted 1913 to %.
Increases Tax On COIOred Imitation
Butter
And Decreases Tt On
Uncolored.
Long And Interesting Debate
Preceded Vote.

Washington, December THE House
today PASSED the Circuit oleomars arine
bill by a vote Of 19S to 90. The substitute
Offered by the minority Of the committee
on agriculture which imposed additional
restrictions on the sale Of oleomargarine
to prevent It's fraudulent sale as butter
and increased the penalties for violations
was defeated by vote Of lib to IT'S.
The bill as passed makes all articles
known as oleomargarine, butterine. imi-
tation butter or imitation cheese trans
ported into any state or territory for con-
sumption or sale subject to the police
power OF such state or territory, but pre-
vents any state or territory from forbid
ding the TRANSPORTATION or sale OF such
product when produced and cold free
from celebration in imitation OF butter.
The bill increases the tax on oleomarga-
rine colorsd In imitation Of butter from
two to ten cents per pound and decreases
the tax on oleomargarine uncolored from
two cents to ona quarter Of cent per
pound. A long and interesting debats
preceded the vote.
Washington, December 7.-Under the
arrangement made yesterday the Trout
olsomargarine bill which was postponed
to allow the army reorganization bill to
be disposed of, came up for considera-
tion In the House today Immediately
after the reading of the journal.
Thereupon Mr.. Henry of Connecticut,
who had charge Of the measure, orened
the debate in its support. He exp! ned
the features of the hill. The increase of
the tax on colored imitation butter, he
said, TO the majority of the committee on
agriculture, was absolutely necessary to
protect the dairy interests Of the country.
The bill makes all articles known as
olsomargarine, butterine, imitation but
ter, or initiation cheese, transported INFO
any state or territory, subject to the po-
lice powers of such state or territory. 1t
increased the tax on manufactured but
ter from two to ten cents per pound, and
decreases the tax on manufactured un-
colored, from two cents to one-fourth of
one cent per pound.
The cause of the enormous amount of
fraud and the illegal selling Of oleomar-
garine, hs said. was due to the great
profits derived from the sale of the jmita-
ton because Ct It's absolute counterfeit
of butter. Thirty-Swo states already
had absolutely forbidden the manufao-
ture ami sale of oleomargarine oolored
Imitation of butter. he said, and this
fact proved conclusively the policy Of a
very large majority of the people against
the existence OF imitation butter In ooun-
terfeit form.
MIR. Wadsworth Of New York, chairman
OF the oommittss on agriculture who
with six other members of the commit
tee signed the minority report against the
circuit bill, Explained the substitute which
the minority would offer for it, Mr..
Wadsworth asserted with the greatest
emphasis that the minority were just
as earnest in their desire to preventive
fraud now practiced In the sale of imi-
tation butter as the majority could be.
Fhs only difference was that the mi.
nority recognized the value of oleomarga-
Ilub Ab u Wn0ASShAhO AbA A1hAANaOQos AbO1
and entitled to place as food product.
Mr. .Wadsworth charged that the purpose
Of the supporters OF the Grous bill was
to destroy the manufacture OF oieomar-
garine, not to regulateits sale. The bill
prepared by the minority, he added,
would eliminate all possibility OF fraud
by compelling the sale of oleomargarine
Of ftue
pounds stamped with the word ''oleo-
margarine and bearing the internal
revenue tax stamp, and imposing ad-
ditlonal and heavy penalties for viola
lions of the law. AZ this point, MIR. Circuit
of Vermont, the author of the bill, as
sumed charge Of the bill and took the
floor In support OF it. He declared that
man, woman and child was interested,
was to suppress fraud In the sale OF a
food product by preventing the coloring
of oleomargarine in imitation of butter.
Over l04, 900, 900 pounds of oleomargarlne
had been manufactured and sold last
year. That was about one-ninth of the
total butter consumption of the United
States.
"Do you not think that the enactment
of the substitute would prevent fraud in
the sale of elsomargarine,' asked MIR.
Burke OF Texas.
81 do not" replied Mr.. Gro Mt. ''.rhe
public would have no more protection
than it has now"
Mr.. Circuit pfoduced figures to show
that oleomargarine cost less than nine
cents per pound and was worked of on
the public by the retailer at from IS TO
80 cents per pound He gave practical
illustration of the manner In which oleo-
margarine ia sold by having brought in
to the House box full OF packages OF
what looked like butter. Each was
wrapped in brown wrapping paper. The