The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-08
THE CIRCUIT BILL PASSES
The House Goes on Record Against
Oleomargarine.
Defeat of the WadswOrth Substitute
by II Vote of IFS to I13-1he Mcns-
urc Reported by the Majority of
the Agricultural Committee and
Agreed to by 1913 to 30.


The Grout Oleomargarine bill. to tax that
article when colored in imitation of butter
10 cents pound, was passed by the House
yesi erday. by vote of 15S TO 30. The
mctsure in one form or another has been
before Congress for several years, and at
request TO the Committee on Rules for an
order for its consideration. 1t was ad-
mitted that if ever it reached a vote the
bill would be passed, the only question
being that OF the size ct the majority. The
Committee on Agriculture was almost
evenly divided, the Grout BIZ, receiving
the support of nine members, the other
eight recommending the passage of a sub
sutute to regulate the manufacture and
sale OF o!eomargarine requiring 1t to be
stamped for what it was.
The debate was interesting and animated,
charges of fraud and deceit on one hand,
and OF desire to crush out a competing
industry on the other. being made. Samples
of butter and oleomargarine added spice
of reality to the proceedings.
The title of the Grout Oleomargarine bill
is "A bill to make oleomargarine and other
imitation dairy products subject to the
laws of The State or Territory into which
they are transported. and to change the
tax on 'oleomargarine.'
1t provides that all articles Known
as oleomargarine, butterine, imitation
butter. or imitation cheese. or any
substance in the semblance OF
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 there
in, shall, upon the arrival within the lin
its of such State or Territory, be subject
to the operation and effect of the laws of
such State or Territory enacted into the
exercise of its 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 reason
of being introduced therein in original
packages or otherwise: Provided. That
nothing in this act shall be construed TO
permit any State to forbid the manufac-
ture or sale of oleomargarine in a separ-
ate and distinct form and in such manner
as will advise the consumer of its real
character free from colOration or ;ngre-
dient that causes it to look like butter
Sec. 2. That after the passage of his
act the tax upon oleomargarine as pre-
scribed in section S Of the act approved
August 2, 1886. and entitled An act defin-
ing butter also imposing a tax upon and
regulating the manufacture. sale, impor-
tation. and expectation Of oleomargarine,'
shall be one-fourth of one cent per pound |
when the same is not colored in imitation |
Of butter: but when colored in imitation |
Of butter the tax to be paid by the manu-
a he 40 10
levied and collected in accordance with the
provisions Of said act"
The bill was reported by the Committee
IN Agriculture. nine members favoring it
md eight opposing it. The latter recon-
nended the passage Of substitute pre-
Jared by Chairman Wadsworth. This puts
he manufacture of oleomargarine under
he control of the Internal Revenue Bu-
eau and forbids the sale of any except in
specially marked packages, so that the
purchaser may know exactly what he is
,uying. 1t also imposes tax of $500
ear on manufacturers. $3.50 on wholesale |.
ealers, and s4S on retail dealers.
Efforts to reach an agreement to fix an
Iour for taking vote on the bill were
and the discussion was opened
y Mr.. Henry of Connecticut. who report
! the bill in favor of its passage. He
aid there was ample cause for alarm at
he tremendous Illegal growth Of oleo-
Margarine traffic in this country during
he past few years. II now appeared to
ave reached proportions beyond the pow
r of the States to successfully regulate
r control and the principal Federal laws
'ere apparently inadequate for the emer-
ency. The foundation and cause of the
normous amount of fraud AID illegal
Cling of oleomargarine. he said. was the
reat profits derived from the sale OF the
nj fof of
,rfeit of butter. which enabled unscrupu-
'us dealers to impose upon unsuspecting !
lstomers. These profits were sufficiently
rge to cause the retailers to run
lances of detection and prosecution. The }
x of 10 cents a pound upon oleomarga- '
ne colored to resemble butter would not [
,prive manufacturers and dealers or con- I
lmers of any legal right they now pos l
,SS.
Four -fifths of the colored article made Il
as sold illegally now, Mr.. Henry said. I
Id the only effect OF this tax would be to n
event the manufacture CT an article the I
le Of which Is contrary to the laws OF v
irty-two States Of the Union. This tax L
,uld bring the cost Of the colored articles
a figure that would take from II tie Z
rye profits which have been the incentive a
violate the laws of the State and Gov II
nment and defraud innocent purchasers,
lille tne TeQuctlOn lne tdA OH .
rine in it's natural color from cents to u
4 cent per pound would make it possible IL
r the man who really desired to consume :.
to procure 1t at a much v
xer cost than heretofore The only diff J.
renee would be that the counterfeit ar
lie colored in imitation Of butter would d
longer be accessible to hotel keepers. W
staurant keepers. and boarding house n
oprletors at such prices as would be an "
iucements for them to deceive their Is
ests. and thus another class Of consurn-
5. who had been subject to imposition oil
more than twenty years, would be able
know whether they were eating butter "
or hog fat when they spread their
.ad II colo-ed oleomargarne was served OF
would be because 1t was better. and not 10
,aper. than butter ti
Ir henry, whose voice is not strong. IN
d his remarks and confined himself very an
seiy to his manuscript. But despite this IN
House gave close attention to the pro- -.
dings. III
fr. wadsworth, member of the Com
tee on Agriculture, and author of the
TO CURE A COLD IN ONE DAY Fo