The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-12-07
OIeo Bill.

O1CO Dill
One of the first orders to be consid
cred when congress cOnsenes, says q
Tribune dispatch from Washington
will be the oieomargarine bill, re
ported to the house from the commit
tee on agriculture by MIR. Henry, oi
COnnecticutt. 1t was introduced by
MIR. George Grout, of Vermont, in
December, 1899. l. provides that all
articles known AS oleomargarine,b but
terine, imitation butter, or imitation
cheese or any substance in the SEM
blance of butter or cheese not the US
ual product of the dairy and not made
exclusively of pure and unadulterated
milk or cream, transported into any
state or territory, and remaining
therein for use, consumption, sale or
storage therein. shall, upon the arriv-
al within the limits of such state or
territory, be subject TO the operation
and effect of the laws of such state or
territory enacted in the exercise of it's
police powers, to the same extent and
in the same manner as though such
articles or substances had been pro-
duced in such state or territory, and
shall not be exempt therefrOm by rea-
son OF being introduced therein in
original packages or otherwise.
There is a provision that nothing
in this act shall be construed to per-
nit any state to forbid the manufac-
ture or sale of Oleomargarine in a
separate and distinct form and in
such manner as will advise the con
sutner of It's real character, free from
colOration or ingredient that causes
it to look like butter"
IL the second section it is provided
shat the tax upon Oleomargarine as
described in section s of the act of
August 2, 1856, shall be one-fourth Of
one cent a pound when the same is
not colored, but when colOred in imi-
tatiOn OF butter the tax to be paid by
the manufacturer shall be ten cents a
pound, to be levied aud collected in
accordance with the provisions of
said act.
The committee in their report state
that "the people have ample cause for
alarm at the tremendous illegal
growth of the OleOmarg arine traffic in
this country in the last few ears,
which now appears to have reached
proportions beyond the power of the
states to successfully regulate or con-
troll, and the present federal laws are
apparently inadequate for the emer-
gency."
The members of the committee ac-
cordingly recommend the Grout bill,
as Offering the best solution of the
difficulty.
The subject has attracted attention
for good many years, the dairy in
terests contending that the act of 1856
did not go far enough, and the oleo-
margarine manufacturers and dealers,
that it aft orded sufficient protection.
Watch your Legislators on this mat
ter. By Il careful reading of the
above bill it will be seen that imita-
tiOn butter is to be taxed ten cents
per pound, while the tax on oleomar-
inc sold on its merit is to be but one
fourth of cent per pound. The lat
ter tax is simply the internal revenue
tax, similar to that on whiskey, beer,
tobacco, patent-medicine, etc. This
would Yield some revenue but would
not create much opposition.
The real merit in the fight is the de-
sire of the packing houses to sell their
product as butter. which is d fraud
Let US have a little honesty in busi-
ness. If oleo is good thing the peo-
pie will soon find it out. As the mat
ter now stands the people are de-
frauded. Lei Oleo be manufactured
and sold as Oleo. Let the men selling
Oleo for butter be convicted of fraud .
Let every tub stand on it's own bot