The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-09
House Requests Secretary Gage to
Make Public the Materials Used
In Imitation Butter.
LOBBYISTS SAID TO BE BOLD
THREATENED MEMBERS WITH DE-
FEAT At POLLS THIS FALL
Effort by One Industry TO Crush An
other-Proceedings Of the Sem
Naval Bill.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON. May Sat the behest or
a strong and aggressive lobby in the inter-
est of the dairymen. the House to-day
rebuffed the ways and means committee
and adopted a resolution requiring the
secretary of the treasury to reveal the
processes and ingredients used in the manu-
facture of oleomargarine. this information
to come from reports of manufacturers of
oleomargarine. as made to the commission
err of internal revenue According TO the
majority report of the ways and means
committee and the arguments Of leading
lawyers on the floor. the secretary OF the
treasury is debarred by law from making
public this information. which was given
the department in confidence. whether
Secretary Gage will yield TO the demands
of the House or seek refuge in the law
and refuse to give up the trade secrets
confidently revealed to the department. re-
mains to be seen.
Washington has never seen a more Of
fensive lobby than that which is here this
session in the interest of the organizations
of dairymen. Representatives of the lobby
have openly bulldosed congressman. and
in circulars, letters and published inter-
views threatened those who opposed them
with defeat in conventions and at the polls.
The light is very clearly recognized as one
between two great interests arrayed In
trade competition, the one seeking iegisla-
tive assistance in, crushing the other to
death. The total annual production OF
butter is approximately 1,5oo,0O0.0N pounds.
and the production Of oleomargarine about
IS. 0O0.0 900 pounds. The larger. interest 10
seeking to destroy the lesser one and from
the test vote in the House to-day. II seems
to be in a fair way TO succeed IL given
time enough.
A snap meeting of the House
on agriculture is to be held tomorrow and
it is on the programme to attempt to take
the Grout bill, imposing a 10 cent tax on
oleomargarine. from the subcommittee
having ii in charge, and report IL to the
House for immediate action. II this plan
succeeds, the House will undoubtedly pass
the bill. II cannot go through the Senate
at this session, but may at the next A
curious thing in connection with this snap
meeting of the agricultural committee
scheduled for tomorrow is that it was vir-
tually called by the head lobbyist Of the
dairymen. Such a piece Of brazen impu-
cIt Wdc ntNOl ltiiteett
ington. 1t is the talk of the Capitol. The
resolution passed by the House to-day
follows:
"Resolyed. That the secretary of the
treasury be and he is hereby requested -
| furnish the House of Representatives In
formation concerning the amount and char
| acter of the material used in the manu-
facture of oleomargarine by the several
manufacturers, as shown by the monthly
| duplicates of pages 1 and 2 of form 216 for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1899, also for
the month of December OF the same year
as returned by the various manufacturer
of oleomargarine throughout the United
States for the above periods"
Mr.. Dalzell, in behalf of the ways and
means committee. moved that the resolu-
| ton be laid on the table. Mr.. Tawney and
Mr.. Dolliver signed a minority report in IA
vor of the adoption of the resolution. The
| House, by a vote Of 81 to l36. refused TO lay
the resolution on the table Mr. Tawney
| then moved the adoption of the resolution
and it was adopted without division.
The House devoted most of to-day to con-
sideration OF private oiiis recommends
| from the committee on claims, and ten bills
were passed. The most important was one
to remit the penalties imposed by the gov
eminent on the Union Iron Works of san
Francisco, the builders of the monitor Mon
terey, for her failure TO make contract
| speed. Other bills favorably acted upon
were: To pay the General Marine lnsu-
rance Company of Dresden Sl.634 for cou-
pons of United States bonds lost on the
| Cunard steamer Oregon. sunk at sea March
IA, 1886; to pay f. l. Field. of Gray, Me-.
| 8 Zoo; to pay John M. Martin, of Ocala.
| Fla. s2l2; TO pay M. II. Pepperell, of Con-
cordia, Kan, $500; 10 pay judgments
against Capt. John c. Bates and Lieut.. j.
A. Yeckley, amounting TO 1900; TO pay
| Mary A. Sweat. widow of the late Amer
lean minister TO Japan, $1,000; TO pay the
employees of w. N. Jacobs. of Lancaster.
Pa, who's tobacco factory was seized. the
salaries due them. and TO pay Robert A.
Eagan. 5000.
subsequently a series of bills were passed
to reimburse collectors of internal reve-
nue. for the value of adhesive stamps
charged to them. but lost in the confisca-
ton following the passage OF the act OF
June II, 1855.