The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-01-27

Pretended Butter shipped Into New
 London Prosecutions for Violations
 of the Law.
 The annual report of Dairy Commis- sioner John B. Noble has been issued, being the ninth report from the office. Commissioner Noble finds that at the present time little oleomargarine is sold in Connecticut, although it is found at different times in nearly every part of the state. Last winter much of it was shipped to New London and dur ing the year it has been shipped to flc titious addresses in Waterbury. Prose- cutions have occurred wherever sales not in compliance with the law have been found, and there are six licensed dealers in the state who sell oleomarga- rine according to the provisions of the law.
 The sale of process or renovated but ter has become quite factor in the butter trade in this State. Several large manufactures have been built within the past few years in different parts VI llle CUuHlIy LOT lIe IIldIluldCCuTe ul this kind of butter. There is none of 1t made in this state, but 1t is shipped in here and sold in many places and often under deceptive names. Several states have within the last year en- acted laws regulating it's sale. One state requires it to be branded process butter, one renovated or process but ter" and five other states require it to be branded renovated butter Under such laws as these customers will have means of knowing what they are buy ing. The sale of this butter can do great harm to the dairy interests of our state and country. Efforts have also been made to establish it's sale in for eign countries in the place of genuine American butter. This will be disas- trous to the standing of pure butter in those markets.
 Process butter is butter made over from the very lowest grades that find their way into market and has no keep ing qualities. It is picked up in large quantities in country stores or other markets where butter that has spoiled is to be found, and treated by boiling with skim milk. It is unfit for human food before the treatment and not much improved by the treatment
 The number of COWS in the state in 1899 was 143,09S, an increase of 4.16S over the number in 1898 and an increase of 15,206 since 1890. The total milk prod uct in Connecticut for the year ending September 30, 1899, was 6o,413,S22 gal lons The total product of butter is not given. There are 57 creameries in the state, the smallest caring for the milk off from IA to IS cows and the largest caring for the milk from 1900 cows, the amount of butter varying from 500 pounds each to BOP, 900 pounds. The value of the cows in the state is estimated at $5.0S7,134. In connection with the report on dairy products there is map giving the locations of all the l creameries in the state.
 USder the pure food law of the state the dairy commissioner has the investi- gation of the standard of vinegar and molasses sold in the state. The vine gar now sold us, in the opinion of the commissioner, constantly being brought up to a higher standard of quality and purity, and there IS a general desire on the part of dealers to obey and fully comply with the law in it's provisions Two hundred samples were gathered and sent to the experiment station for analysis. The law governing the sale of vinegar is published in full.
 The commissioner has prosecuted 37 persons for the sale of adulterated mo- lasses, many of the parties pleading guilty Most of that sold to dealers in the state is by agents of New York or Providence houses. The report quotes from the Hon. J. D. Dewell of New Ho- ven a wholesale dealer, who is opin- ion that the present statute is not suffi- cient for full protection to consumers, and favoring a law establishing a test l of not less than 50 degrees by the po- 1ariscope for all nolasses sold, much of | the molasses now sold not running over 40 degrees. The report has all of the l laws relating to impure food products an an address by the Hon. Levi Wells, | president of the National Association of State Dairy and Food Departments.
 In closing the commissioner says:
 "The high price which dairy butter | has sustained through the year has | caused unusual activity among the ! manufacturers of imitation butter in all | parts of the country. The increase in the number of pounds manufactured 1 has been quite large, and consequently | the efforts to sell, equally strenuous, It has required constant watch in all parts of the state to see that the pro- visions of our oleomargarine laws are not violated. Bakeries, boarding houses, restaurants and hotels have been visited and the butter used exam ined. and if at all suspicious has been | tested The wisdom shown in the pas- ' sage of thie law has been most clearly proved in that it has bee of great bene- fit to the dairy interests of the state and at the safne time just to all ocn- sumers of creamery butter Without such a law there would be hundreds of licensed dealers in the state, and con- et1mers, in many eases, would be paying the price of creamery butter for 10- cent imitation product"
 He reports the sale of fraudulent vim egar as having been driven from the state and says that the law against adulterated molasses has been benef- cial to consumers.
 HOSPITAL STEWARD BARBER.