Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-07
ON BOGUS BUTTER
Debate in the House on the O]eo
Bill.
Mr.. GROUT'S STRONG PRESENTATION
Samples Submitted for Represen-
tatives to Taste.
I II E 9TH Err KERS

|
last session of Congress The bill makes
| all articles known oleomargarine but
terine, imitation butter imitation cheese
transported into any state or territory SUBJ
Ject to the police powers of such state or
| territory. 1t increases the tax on manu-
factured butter colored in imitation of but
Ter from to 10 cents per pound and de-
creases the tax on manufactured butter un-
colored from cents to fourth of l cent
| per pound.
The Report the Measure.
The report on the bill recommending its
passage, drawn by Mr. Henry of Connec-
| ticut. says:
we are of the opinion that the people
nave ample cause for alarm at the tremen-
oous illegal growth of the oleomargarine
trahc In this country during the past few
years which now appears to have reached
proportions beyond the power of the states
10 successfully regulate or control and
the present federal laws are apparently AL
together inadequate for the emergency
we nnd that the very foundation and
Eduse Oh tne enormous amount of fraud and
Illegal selling of oleomargarine is in the
great profits which are derived from the
sale OF the imitation because of its ahso-
lutte counterfeit of butter which enables
s,s,,ae, umse, upuious dealers to impose upon
suspectlng customers. These profits are suf-
nclentiy large to cause the retailer to run
the chances of detection and prosecution
ana tney are further emboldened and en-
couraged through the guarantees of the
manufacturers of protection against prose-
cutions under the state law.
, 1hlrty-tWo states. having four-fifths of
.ne ehtlTe population of the United States
aosoiuteiy forbid the manufacture and sale
OF oieomargarine colored to resemble hut
Ter. These laws have been upheld in the
llsher courts without a single exception,
and the question has twice been nassa9
he
the United States Therefore, the policv of
a very large majority Of our people is plain
such counterfeit form
An attempt was n ade to reach an apree-
ment FOR closing debate. but the opposing
sldes were unable to get together, and de.
pite proceeded without limit
The Debate Begins.
Mr.. Henry Of Connecticut opened the de-
pa'e In penaH OF the BILL He reviewed the
iiiaih statements set forth in the committee
report. showing the extent of the oleomar-
garine fraud: He contended that preyen-
ton OF the sale of colored oleomargarine in
imitation Of butter would not burt tho
man who wants to buy uncolored oleo "a
there is already a good market for that
class OF goods, and it would continue His
argument was directed against the practice
OF palning off colored oleoma rgarine upon
the purchaser as genuine butter
Mr.. Wndswo-th'a Contention.
Mr. Wadsworth of New York was rec
ogn!zed to control the time of the minority
opposed to the bill.
He contended that the minority were sin
cere in theiI wish to prevent the perpetra-
ton of oleomargarine frauds practiced not
he said. by the manufacturers, but by the
retail dealers. He said that the substitute
m hlli proposed by the minority would reduce
the frauds to minimum. Mr.. Wadsworth
then proceeded to argue that oleo is a
wholesome article of food.
Mr.. Wadsworth exhibited to the House q
number of specimens of alleged colored but
ter which, he said. were purchased from a
dealer in local market. He said he was
butter maker. and it was we'll known
that genuine butter was colored in all
months of the year except May and June,
when it has natural color
rs it colored to represent anything else
than butter asked Mr.. Tawney of Min
nesota. Mr.. Wadsworth said he only
wanted to show that 1t was colored
Mr.. Grout's Statements.
Mr.. Grout was then recognized to con-
troll the time of the friends of the bill. He
said that last year 10400o,o00 pounds OF
oieo fioated through the channels Of COM
merce as butter. This, he said, was about
one-nnth OF the amount of butter used in
commerce.
Mr.. Grout said that butter was always
yellow, to a greater or lesser degree; 1t is
Elunities the trade required colored butter,
bur he considered it an abnormal taste
Mr.. Grout said there were such enormous
profits in the oleo fraud that large cor
ruption funds secured to hold up prose-
cutions. He said the profits oleo last
year were estimated at S1o000Oo0
The dairymen were not fighting oleo. be-
cause 1t brought profit to its dealers, how
ever, but because of the frauds perpetrated
upon the public by the dealers. Mr.. Grout
said the retail dealers worked off oleo
upon the public at prices ranging from IS
to 30 cents a pound and that it can be
manufactured for 5lA cents pound with
out the tax. He said that the manufac-
turers guarantee the retailers against
prosecution for violating local laws There
were 80 60 indictments now pending in
this city, he said, some of them four years
old. In Pennsylvania there We're more than
600 indictments pending, some of them
three or four years old In Chicago, he
said some of the decisions of the Judges
would make a man blush for justice.
Tasting Samples of OIeo.
At this point in the proceedings samples
of oleo were brought into the House and
passed around for members to taste. The
farmer representatives thronged around
and tasted the butter, smacking their lips
with the air OF Connoisseurs. while the ur-
ban Soons eyed it narrowly as though ac-
quanting themselves with it's appearance.
SO as to recognize oieo if they meet it again
on their hotel tables.
MI. SITOut Stiu the samples from
Illinois. from the town of Aurora where il
was supposed to have passed for butter
The pats Were wrapped in brown paper
and Mr.. GroIt showed how the paper was
'Oeomargarine," in accordance
with law, and then neatly folded under so
that the unsnspicious purchaser would
never see it.
Mr.. LOrimer's Speech.
Mr.. Lorimer of Illinois then took the
floor. He ls recognized as the chief out
spoken opponent in the House of the Grout
bill. Mr.. Lorimer contended that increasing
the tax on oleo would not prevent fraud,
but that the substitute bill proposed by the
minority would do SO.
He said that oleomargarine did not con-
tain any deleterious substances.
Mr. Grout asked him If parafin was
not used in oleo.
Mr.. Lorimer said that it was not, because
parafiin was more expensive than oleo.
Mr.. Grout recalled the case of seizure
Of a number of cases of oleo in New York
which contained 10 per cent Of paraff1n.
Mr.. Lorimer charged that oleo oil was
sometimes used In the manufacture OF So