Evening star., 1900-03-07
Hearing on Mr.. Grout's Bill to Tax
Oleomargarine.
EI GOVERNOR H0ARD'S REMARKS
Extent of the Manufacture Of the
Bogus Article.
TO PROTECT THE FARMERS


| this morning when the House committee
! Oh agriculture took up Mr. Groufs restric-
tive bill for a series of hearings. The full
committee was present and the greatest in
terest was manifested by members in the
proceedings.
PrOvisiOns of the Bill.
The bill III. r. 371O provides as follows:
That all articles known as o1eomargar-
inc, butterne, imitation butter, or imitation
cheese, or any substance in the semblance
of butter or cheese not the usual product
OF the dairy and not made exclusively of
pure and unadulterated milk or cream.
transported into any state or territory, and
remaining therein for use, consumption, sale
or storage therein, shall, upon the arrival
within the limits of such state or territory,
be subject to the operation and effect of
the laws of such state territory enacted
into the exercise of its police powers to the
same extent and in the same manner as
though such articles substances had
been produced in such state territory.
and shall not be exempt tnerefrom by rea-
son of being Introduced therein in original
packages or otherwise: provided, that moth
ing in this act shall be construed to per-
init any state to forbid the manufacture or
sale of oleomargarine in a separate and dis
tinct form and in such manner as will ad-
wise the consumer of its real character free
from coloration or ingredient that causes it
to look like butter.
Sec. 2. That after the passage of this act
the tax upon oleomargarine prescribed
in section of the act approved August 2
1856, and entitled AN act defining butter,
also imposing a tax upon and regulating
the manufacture, sale. importation and ex-
portation of oleomargarine," shall be one
fourth OF l cent per pound when the same
is not colored in imitation of butter; but
when colored in imitation of butter the tax
TO be paid by the manufacturer shall be 10
cents per pound. to be levied and collected
in accordance with the provisions of said
act"
Opposed by OleOmargnrine Manu-
facturers.
The bill is being opposed principally by
the oleomargarine manufacturers of Chi
cago, Kansas City and other western cities.
1t is fntimated also that some southern rep
resentatives whose constituents are con-
cerned in the manufacture of cotton seed
OIL which IS Used in oleomargarine. are also
arrayed against the bill.
On the other hand members of the House
are receiving appeals from every dairy
mems association In the United States and
from farmers by the thousands to aid the
movement II restrict the imposition of oieo-
margarine upon the people in counterfeit of
butter.
In Behalf of the Farmers.
At today's hearing Ex-Governor w. D
Hoard Of Wisconsin, president of the Ma
tional Dairy Union and Farmers National
Congress, appeared. He said he represented
the united dairy sentiment of the nation.
THAT means" he said, 'over 5000 900
farmers, representing annual cash value
in their product of s700,00O.000" He also
spoke, he said, for "a vast army of con-
sumers Of dairy products. who are con-
stantly duped and swindled by a counter
felt substitute for butter. The consumer
is imposed upon and defrauded of his
money and the dairy farmer of his right
flll market RV of this fait
the consumer is compelled to pay a but
ter price for that which is not butter
The consumers and producers of butter
ask Congress to enact into law House bill
3717, which provides by the first section
that all counterfeit substitutes for butter,
when taken into any state or territory
shall be subject to the laws Of that state
or territory concerning such counterfeit.
This is the same the So-cal1ed Wilson
law in regard to intoxicating liquors.
enacted, think, in 1891. 1t was deemed for
the public welfare to enact that law. We
claim it is for the public welfare to place
oleomargarine under the operation of a
similar law.
Already thirty-two states have laws on
their statute books forbdding the manu-
facture and sale of substitutes for butter
when colored and made in the sembiance of
butter.
OfeOmarSarine Combine.
1.-The oleomargarine combine consists of
less than twenty manufacturers, who have
deliberately entered into a conspiracy to
break down the state laws and by bribing
merchants, by deception of all kinds, by
substituting city newspapers and by en-
ploying leading politicians, to so neutralize
the effect and administration of those laws
that they may force their counterfeit upon
the public.
'These manufacturers are assuming to
ride over all laws. They stand behind all
infractions of state and national laws, fur
nsh money for the defense of their agents
when arrested and are the inspiring force
for such contempt of law. On one side
stands of the greatest of our agricul-
tural interests, together with the millions
of consumers of their product.
"On the other side stands the oleomar-
garine trust, engaged in manufacturing a
counterfeit depending law breaking,
falsehood and deception for its success
backed up with millions of capital. The
situation is certainly very significant,
whether viewed from a political, economic
or patriotic standpoint.
THE second section of this bill provides
first, that all oleomargarine, which stands
in Its own color and not in the semblance
of butter; that on this mixture the present
federal tax shall be reduced to half of one
cent a pound. The dairy sentiment of the
country would be willing that the uncoI~
ored compound should be relieved of all
taxation. The tax, as provided in the bill,
is trif1ing and nominal. This is done in a
spirit of fairness. If there are any persons
who wish to eat this mixture in preference
to butter, or who ask for it because they
are poor, they would then be enabled to
buy it for what it is worth. They could not
be cheated into paying butter price for
something that in no honest sense is butter
or like butter.
COnsummate Hypocrisy.
THE oleo combine and their apologists
and defenders have a great deal to say
about oleomargarine being a cheap food
for the poor There is consummate hy-
pocracy in this plea. You may notice that
the poor people are not making this plea
1t is made for the purpose of overreacaing
the poor
''The friends of this measure are the true
friends Of the poor. for they ask that the
force Of law and the burden of onerous tax
alton be turned against the counterfeit,
while the article which is not colored to
deceive, can have free course.
what does oieomargarine cost?
Armour & Co. of Chicago testified be-
fore a federal district court, In New York,
that with the two-cent federal tax added
the cost was less than seven cents a
pound. II 1t was uncolored, the Door could
buy 1t for ten cents, or at the most for
twelve cents. Yet saw the colored article
selling In Ashland, Wis, to the poor for
twenty-eight cents a pound
TO give added force to the first section
90 t. - 4 t, 1-l