The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-05-08
GAGE ASKED TO REPORT.
The House Wishes 10 Know the In
gradients OF OieomargarIne.

gradients OF Oieomargarine.
In the House today, Mr. Dalzell called up
the two resolutions Of enquiry. one calling
upon the Secretary of the Treasury to in
form the House what ingredients enter into
the composition OF oleomargarine. the other
requesting him TO furnish copies Of the re-
ports Of OleOmargarine manufacturers.
The Committee on Ways and Means recon-
msRded that the resolutions lie upon the
table. The resolutions we're part Of the
plan OF campaign by opponents Of the man
gfacture and sale Of oleomargarine.
Discussing the report Of the committee,
Mr.. DalzeII stated that the Committee on
Ways and Means believed it was not good
public policy to make public the secrets Of
the manufacturers Of oleOmargarine. The
interests Of the public were protected by
section Of the oleomargarine law, which
made it the duty Of the Commissioner Of
Internal Revenue 70 examine and certify
10 the character of the ingredients To
pass the resolutions. Mr.. DalZell said. the
House would be put ia the ridiculous atti-
tude of calling upon the Secretary Of the
Treasury for information which, by law. he
Is prohibited to divulge.
Mr.. Tawney said the plain issue involved
in these resolutions was that the people OF
the United States had no right 10 know
the ingredients Of food product made IN
der the supervision OF their Government
Mr. Livingston asked IL analyses OF oIeO-
margarine were not frequently made and
these analyses spread TO the public.
Mr.. Tawney said they were made, and
it was the duty Of the Commissioner 70
have them made. But the friends OF oleo
bull ard hog butter ne said would have
20 come with something besides section
3167 70 support their contention that the
Secretary was forbidden by law 10 furnish
The information asked for That section
referred neither 10 him nor 70 the matters
on which information was desired
The processes Of oleomargarine, Mr..
Tawney went en- 10 say. were protected by
patents. - Of which he he'd in his hand.
That being the fact il might be asked why
;he Information sskec in the resolutions
was desired II was because the p-tents
contained only the formulas Which the
manufacturers said they expected 10 use.
Not one Of them mentioned tie use OF
stoarine. a lump OF which he exhitited, an
article that would not melt uncer ia de-
grees F.. and yet the returns showed tie
U~e OF large Quantities % II When the
manufacturers were before the Committee
On Agriculture they were asked 20 give TIE
forTlrla but they positively declined. Ard
CoDmittee on Ways and Means, is asked
20 endorse that refusal
The report Of the committee was a1vO-
Gated by Messrs- Ball and Richardson. the
former OF whom said the laborilE nor Of
the country were opposed 70 the proposed
legislation against oIeomargarire. which
Nr. BAH denounced as peTaici0us. inta-
nous, and iniqUitous, and suuptIary IS
veil
Passage Of the resolutions was adyo-
Gated by MessTs- Lamb and Babo0ck. The
latter said the reason for the opposition
TO the resolutions was that the gentlemen
opposing them did not want the facts.
Concluding the argument Mr.. DalZelI
said the question al issue was not one OF
the merits OF OieOmargarine IL was 10 CON-
pei officials to make public the trade Sc
crets and methods Of the seventeen man
UfaCtUTers engaged in this business. The
Supreme & 5urt. he said had decided that
under section 5I67 a collector Of internal
revenue could not divUlge the secrets Of
whisky distiileTs. whose product was stOr-
ed under his charge When q manufacturer
for the purpose OF taxation, places his
trade secrets in the possession Of the
Government he is protected By The great
principles Of public policy.
The vote on laying the resolutions on the
table was taken BY yeas and nays, result
ing: yeas 50: nays. I36.
one Of the resolutions was then adopted.
reading as follows.
Resolved. That the Secretary OF the
Treasury be ard he is hereby. requested
70 furnish the House Of Representative
Z infOrms-icr concerning the amount and
character a. the material authorized in the
| manufacture Of 0leomsrg rgariue by the sew
! eral manufacturers. as shown By the
monthly duplicate Of pages 1 ard .. OF
| Form 216 for the fiscal year ending June
| so. 1899. also for the month OF DsceAber
1 Of the same year as returned by the vari-
| Gus manufacturers OF Oi5Cmsrgarine
/ throughout the United States for the above