Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-06-21
Til Crusade Against Oleomargarine

rection.
TIL G Crusade Against Oleomargarinc
with the exception of those directly
concerned in .he manufacture or hand
ling of oloomargarine. all classes includ-
ing both the producers and consumers Of
dairy products arc interested in the pro-
hibition of the sale of this product as
butter The dairymcn arc so evidently in
iured by the sale of spurious butter, that
argument is unnecessary to show tho
damaging character of this substitution
Of oloomargarino for the genuine dairy
product. The extent of that damage can
be realized only when VIC consider the fig
uros measuring tho sale of oleomargar'ne.
According to the statistics published by
the secretary of the treasury the produc-
ton of spurious butter aggregated 9l,322,-
bU pounds during the last fiscal year,
while during the month of last December
alone u.13,74S pounds of oleomargne
were produced.
Turning to the consumers of both genu-
inc butter and oelomargarne it is plain
that they would be benefited by having
each product stand on its merits With
the aid of butter and butter oil it is pos
sihle to manufacture oleomargarne or
butterine that cannot be distinguished
from poor butter. But even if spurious
butter were as wholesome and desirab e
as the genuine product, there is marked
difference between the cost of olcomar-
garinc and of butter. Where the manufac-
turer of o.eOmargarne can color his prod
uct so as to make it resemble butter and
sell it as such, he is able to reap an enor-
nous profit If person is willing to sub
stitute the spurious product for genuine
butter. he ought to have the privilege of
saving the actual difference between the
price of the two articles of diet
IT follows that there are cOmparativey
few people who are not interested in
the Grout ELECTROMAGNETIC bill which
was recently reported to Congress. This
bill was reported from the committee on
agriculture by Congressman Henry of
Connecticut, two reports having accom-
panied the same. The majority report
holds that the people have ample cause
for alarm at the tremendous growth of
the oleomargarine traffic i'll This country
during the past few years, which now APP
pears to have reached proportions beyond
the power of the States to successfully
regulate or control, and the present fed
cral laws are apparently altogether in
adequate for the emergency"
1t is found that the cause of the enor-
nous 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 absolute counter
felt of butter which enables INSCRIPTIONS
dealers to impose upon unsuspecting GUS
toners.
The majority of the committee believe
that a tax OF ten cents per pound upoi
oleomargarne, colored to resemble but
ter, will not deprive the manufacturers
and dealers or consumers of any grea
amount of legal right they now possess
They also believe that the manufacture
and sale of oleomarsarine will continue
under this measure, and that those wh'
desire a cheap substitute for butter viii
purchase the uncolored article. the onl,
difference being that the counterfeit arti
Gle, colored in imitation of butter will NJ
, longer be accessible to hotekeepers, res
taurant- keepers, and boarding house
proprietors at such prices as viii be al
nducement for them to deceive thci
l guests, and thus another class OF con
sumers, who have been subjected to impo
, stion for more than twenty years, iii b
able to know whether they are eatin
} butter fat, or hog fat, when they sprea
: their bread.
, The minority report on the other han
asserts that ole omargarne is a wholesom
q and nutritious article of diet and the
5 naturally conclude that it's production an
t sale should not be restricted as protfere
t bS the majority.
0 Effective speeches in favor of the meas
y ure We're made by Hon. S. $. Barney {
G Wisconsin and Hon, Henry d, Green {
, Pennsylvania among others Mr.. Gree
/ showed that those who favor the bill d
i not complain al real dairy butter ben
placed on the market in honest compel
= ton with oleomargarne, butterine or an
e chemical compound of grease but they
+ protest against the sale Of these spuriol
: butter products to consumers as genul
t dairy butter. In support of this asser,io
n he pointed to the fact that while the pre-
I ent federal tax on oleomarg 1rne and i
10 kindred products is at the present tin
h two cents pound, the tax under the pr
J. posed bill would be reduced to one-'ourl
p. of one cent per pound, but all oleomarga
n inc the natural color of which is white
9 colored 10 resemble butter would be con