Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-15
Nty9tNB44I!:
Introduced From the Committee on
Agriculture.
LOWERS The RETAIL DEALERS TAX
Dairy interests Criticism of the
New Measure.
PREFER NO LEGISLATION

Chairman Wadsworth of the House COM
mittee on agriculture has introduced a bill
In the House amending the oleomargarine
act so that hereafter oleo shall be packed
by manufacturers in not less than five
pound packages. All rolls or prints shall
bear the word 'oeomargarne' impressed
in sunken letters and shall be stamped and
branded Retail dealers shall sell only from
original stamped packages. received
from the manufacturers Manufacturers
shall pay a tax of $500 per annum and re-
tail dealers S24. Any person who sells in
greater quantities than ten pounds at Il
time shall be regarded as wholesale
dealer. Penalties are provided for viola
ton of the act.
Against the Measure.
IF We have our choice between the meas
ure introduced by Mr. Wadsworth yester-
day and no legislation at all. we will
choose the latter" said Mr.. Chas. Y.
knight, who represents the dairy interests.
Mr.. Wadsworth's bill is wholly in the In
terest Of the manufacturer of oleomar-
garine. Had that bill been introduced in
any previous Congress we should have
protested against its passage.
There are absolutely no features that
are meritorious about it. There are some
features which to the uninitiated look all
right But when sifted to the bottom they
will be found to be in behalf of the max
ers and sellers Of oleomafgarine.
I'm the first place, Mr.. WadSworthS bill
reduces the retailers license from $4s to
S24 per year This is in order that more
retail dealers can go into the business. de-
spite the fact that what we have now can
not be controlled by legislation which is
just as good as that proposed in the Wads-
worth bill Then the Wadsworth measure
gives the retailer the right to sell original
packages of oleomargarine of five pounds
ga h
him to sell original manufacturers pack
ages at all. and the manufacturer is linn
tied to a ten-pound package.
eff the contention of the OleOmargarine
people is sound. that they have the right to
sell original manufacturers packages. de-
spite the laws of the states, then this bill
would effectually destroy all state legisla-
ton because it would give the retailer at
$24 per year the right to do more than the
wholesale dealer is permitted to do with
the payment of a tax of $3.50 per year now.
No state could then have any control of
the oleomargarine traffic, as the Wads-
worth measure gives the states no right of
jurisdiction over original packages.
There number of provisions requir-
ing prints. &c, to have the word 'o!eo-
margarine impressed thereon, but even II
all goods were put up in prints the act OF
obliteratng these grease letters would De
simple. If sold in bulk the dealer is re-
quired to sell in original tive-pound pack
ages.
What May he Done.
Now, what is to hinder the dealer from
scratching the stamp and selling the goods
as butter. just the same as Is being done
every day throughout the country now. de-
spite the fines which have been levied by
the internal revenue department? Why, we
have it that one concern which paid in the
vicinity of $4,000 in compromise for
scratching stamps in 1893 is now engaged
in the same work. This is done in a whole
sale way, and always will be so long as
there Is from 10 to - cents pound in the
fraud. -
IF colored oleomargarine is taxed 10
cents per pound, bringing its cost close up
to the value of pure butter. then when used
1t will be because it is-as is claimed by
the manufacturer-better than butter. we
will know at the hotels whether or not we
are getting butter or mixture OF lard'
talloW cottonseed oil. glycerine. Stearlne,
glucose and sugar, as the hotel Keeper Will
not have the incentive of cheapness 10
cause him to substitute the bogus lot the
real article.
1.-The dairymen will never accept anything
that permits the sale of colored oleomar-
garine with the profit that can be made In
it,, substitution for butter. II 1t comes 10
choice between the Wadsworth bill and
nothing they will take the latter and think
themselves fortunate at not having the
former thrust upon them. Ihey 90 not
look upon the committee on agriculture as
friend of their interests. and cannot I'M
derstand its persistent. and apparently DE
termined attempt to defeat measure that
is wanted by the dairymen OF the country
and is agreeable to almost two-thirds of the
House..
Friends of the GrOut Bill Anxious.
The friends Of the Grout bill were very
much concerned today by a report that
Chairman Wadsworth would endeavor to
have his bill reported by the committee on
agriculture tomorrow as a substitute for
the Grout bill. The friends of the latter
measure were hard at'work this afternoon
getting their forces together to attend the
meeting of the committee tomorrow. Some
of them are absent and not contemplating
action at this time, but it is probable that
they will be at the meeting.
A printed copy of the bill could not be OBJ
tanned today. The Wadsworth bill was in
PRODUCED late yesterday afternoon. and ordi-
narily would have come up with the printed
bills this morning Inquiry at the document
room. however. showed that it had not APP
peared. and that the explanation offered
was that the bill had been sent back to the
printer for some changes.