The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-02-10
Butter VS.. OleO.
rY T. X. RRuNER.

lteeently TIE press has been giving
some attention TO thu discussion OF the
Grout bill, low perrtng in Congress.
The bill fo'i ids the coorng of oleo-
margarine IN limitation OF butter If
it should become Jaw there would
be no question as to the result upon
trade in dairy products. No one can
deny the fact that this compound is
sold as butter Leaving out the Nques-
ton of it's value as a perfect substitute
for butter, of its cleanliness and health
fulneSs as food, the fact remains that
IL finds market because of It's resemb-
lance to butter, ana not for the other
reasons argued in It's favor We are
told that this BILL should il become a
law, will destroy its trade. therefore its
manufacture and as q consequence,
injure the cotton farmers OF the South
in destroying ore of their available mar
kets for cotton oil. That argument is
only partially substantiated by the
facts; for the amount of oil used IS
small in comparison with the enormous
output OF this product Some one has
estimated the total oil used in the man
at 100000 gallons. Cotton oil Weighs ~
pounds TO the gallon which would
make 100000 pounds OF cotton oil used
annually Compare these figures with
the following statistics:
The latest available statistics arc for
the year ending June so. 1899 During
this year no less thar 1929, 901 pounds
of these compounds were made and
sold mostly IN the United States, the
export being quite limited. The rev
enue taxes on these compounds are as
follows Al! CLEO, etc. for domestic
uses is taxed . cents per pound; man
ufacturer's special tax is $500 per an
mum; wholesale dealers pay $3.50 per
annum and the retailers pay SIS per
annum. From these sources the United
States Government has received no
less an amount than $1,956.6lS56.
From this showing the three million
pounds Of cotton oil, While essential +
the manufacture, does not comprise but
a small proportion o. the bulk turned
out. But to get back to the main issue:
the point i'm the Grout bill is to prevent
the coloring of cleo like butter. and
thus prevent its sale as butter
The accumE anying map viii show at
a glance Whcrc oleo may be sold as but
ter. The map was published in the AM
erican Agricaituris some time since.
The white territory designates the
territory in which GEO is marketed as
butter and is coored yellow in imita
tion of butter.
Many of our farmels who reside near
cities and the larger towns are cndeaV-
oring TO make q living by clarifying
making butter and senIng milk. Those
who confine themselves to the selling of
milk are doing fairly well. while those
residing a little further away must con-
vert the product of the herd into but
ter. These are not succeeding so well.
They cannot compete with the gilt
edge cleo which is to be found in the
stores OF the cities and larger towns.
At least this fact helps to keep down
the price. Last year there We're no.
244 pounds of cleo retailed in North
Carolina as butter, 10 say nothing of
the renovated or processed butter which
also finds sale in this State.
The question in all its phases is quite
interesting as it affects our people and
the dairy interest in the whole eour
try. Under the provisions Of the Pure
Food law, passed by the Legislature two
years ago. The Board of Agriculture
has the right to require that oleo sold
in this State shall be labelled and sold
as oleo, not as butter; yet this does not
quite reach the point covered by the
Grout bill, which is Intended to pro-
hibit it's coloring in semblance of but
ter There can be but little choice in
the mind OF the legislator, whether in
Congress or in the General Assembly.
as to which side he should take in this
matter. If there is TO be discrimina-
ton let it be on the side of the farmer,
who is honestly producing an honest
article of diet. The cleo substitute
would taste just as good, be as healthy
and serve IS purpose as we'll if made
any other color than yellow. Then
the person using IL would know that it
was oleo. AMI would not buy and eat
ii as butter.
r. x. BRUNER.