Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1900-01-18
DAlRYEEN WARNING
ON BOGUS BUTTER
Strong Fight Will Be Made to
Push the Tawney Measure
Through Congress.
FOR A HEAVY TAX ON oLEo
Bill Provides for Tax of : Cents
Pound OH Uncolored PRO.
duct and 10 Cents on
the Colorcd.

washington, Jan. 1S.-An animated
struggle is in progress over two bills
a1tectlng the dairy interests of the
country. One of them has been re-
ferred to the house committee on
ways and means, and the other to the
mouse committee on agriculture. The
llfst Dill was offered by Representative
lawney, of Minnesota, the opening
cay OF the session, and proposes to
amend the act defining butter and inn
posing tax upon and regulating the
manufacture, sale. importation and
expectation of oleomargarine. 1t pro-
poses that there shall be a tax of .
cents pound upon all oleomargarine
that is not colored, while upon the
article that is colored so as to re-
selnble butter it is proposed to place
a tax of 10 cents a pound.
The other bill was introduced by
Representative Grout, of Vermont. a
week later. In some manner the tax
feature of this bill was overlooked in
referring. and it went to the commit.
tee on agriculture. Ii proposes a tax
OF "a cent ON uncolored pleo-
margarine and 10 cents pound on
the colored article. The Circuit bill
goes further and provides that, when
limitations of butter and cheese are
transported into any state or terri
tory for use, consumption storage or
sale, they shall, upon arriving within
the state or territorial limits, become
subject to the local laws, and i'm the
same manner or extent as though pro-
dnced within the state or territory.
The friends and the opponents OF
these bills have come to WASHINGTON
for a finish fight this winter. The
oleomargarine interests, which repre-
sent vast amount of invested cap
ital, naturally are resisting any leeis-
lation or any favorable report from
either of the house committees mem
toned. They are said to have no small
fund to meet expenses of their cam
paign.
The dairymen, who held a national
convention recently in Chicago. have
been raising a fund for organization
which will probably reach $4,000.
They are now at work sending blank
petitions to dairy and other organiza-
lions over the country. The postage
on these letters alone is understood to
have been $1,000. In few weeks it is
expected the house and senate will he
Hooded With petitions for the enact
ment of legislation more favorable to
the dairy interests. The dairymen are
alarmed that the oleomargarine man
ufactnrers should have increased so
much in the last year. The product of
the last twelve months is said to have
been 100000 pounds, am increase
over the previous year of 25.0000 900
pounds.
Meanwhile the dairymen feel that
they have received temporary set
back in the committee on agriculture.
Chairman Wadsworth, of New York.
who is personally interested in several
creameries in that state, is said to re-
gard the circuit bill with skepticism
but, however that may be, he has re-
1erred it to subcommittee. Of which
Representative Lorimer, of Chicago, is
chairman.
Now, it happens that large por-
ton of the manufacture of oleomar-
garine for this country is located in
Chicago, and in the district that Mr..
-Lorimer represents. 1t is logical ar
gument that the Chicagoan could
hardly be expected to remain inactive
or Indifferent to the interests of his
constituents, and the friends of the
Grout bill fear that they may receive
black eye in the subcommittee
They have an alternative in the bill
before the committee on ways and
means, but are waiting developments
before starting in for the long, hard
fight, which a favorable report ON al
most any bill to change tariff sched-
Mles in that committee means.