The Delta independent., 1901-06-21
Butter vs.. OleomarGarine.


Farm. II. c. Adams presents the but
ter makers side of the case in their
contention with the manufacturers of
oleomargarine and butterine. He says:
Ii is claimed that the passage of the
Grout bill would lower the price Of
steers S3 head and the price of hogs
80 cents on account of the leSsened
price that would result for tallow and
leaf lard. John c. Mccoy, who ap-
peared before the Senate committee
on agriculture in behalf of the oleo-
margarine people. stated that the av-
erage steer contained tifty-eight
pounds of caul fat. Mr.. Miller. repre-
senting the Armour company of Kan
sas City, stated that they get forty
pounds Of caul fat from a steer. The
Iowa Agricultural College fattened
eighteen head of steers and the
amount of caul fat which they con-
tanned as reported by Swift X Co. was
81 GO pounds.
In 1884. +. f Washburn. live
stock dealer in Chicago. showed that
from las. .S93 head of cattle slaughter
ed in that city by one of the largest
packing concerns there was an average
of 61.5 pounds Of fat in these animals
used in oleomargarine which made
2S. pounds of oleo oil. This indicates
that il takes more than two pounds of
such fat TO make one pound of oleo oil.
The probabilities are that less than
fifteen pounds of Oleomargarine can
be obtained from an average steer. All
this however. is not material in ITSELF
although an effort is made by the ma
tional live stock association to make
il so. Some of the distinguished gen
l.,fn hn col
gressional committees. as they claim
ed. in behalf of live stock interests,
insisted that .he loss which would fall
upon the produce of cattle and hogs
would amount 10 S55,OoO.ODO annually
in case the Grout bill became n law.
The total amount of lard and tallow
used in the manufacture of oleomar-
garine In the United States in 1899
was 15.OOO.Ooo pounds in round num-
bers. At o cents a pound. which is
sufficiently high estimate. this amount
OF neutral lard and oleo oil would he
worth in round numbers only 5000
600. If the oleomargarine industry
had been wiped off the face of the
| earth and the 55.Op0OOD pounds of
neutral oil and lard thrown into the
4 sea. the total loss could not have eN-
ceeded S5.0OO.OOO. but If it had not
been used in the manufacture of oleo-
margarine at all and sold for other
purposes il would have brought about
/ one-half that amount or S2.50o.uS.
The wholesale value of all the oleo-
margarine made in 1899 did not eN.
| ceed Sl3.oOo.0Oo. If the business had
been stopped absolutely and not
pound manufactured, how the destruc-
/ tion of S13.O00.ODo industry would
I entail loss of S55.Ooo.0O0 is just a
little bit beyond my comprehension.
There are 30.OOO.OOO hogs slaughtered
each year. The amount of neutral oil
which goes into the butterine manu-
| fae,urc would therefore be about one
pound 10 a hog, and If not used for any
I purpose. would make n loss upon each
hog of . cents. but it could be sold for
lard, pure and simple. and bring from
4 to : GEMS. Hence. l cannot imagine
! how Their, can be loss of over D
cents in case the octopus of the Grout
bill should get its tentacles upon the
olcomarcarine business About 5000
600 steers Were slaughtered in 1899
and abou, 25.O00.OOo pounds of oleo oil
went into The manufacture of oleomar-
J garine that year. Each steer Slaugh-
| tered contributed five pounds to the
olconar,," rine product, worth 40 cents.
II sold for tallow it would bring at
| least ~ ccnts, which would make a
| loss TO the steer OF 20 cents.
| If anybody of ordinary common
sense and knowledge of mathematics
can fi-Trr this proportion in any other
way ana make 1t stand up. l would
! like to hC introduced 10 the person.
| The oleouargarine people seem TO for
get tnut ttIis country exports to for
| eign lands each year 142,O00,Do
| pounds Of oleo oil. Our greatest mar
| ket for that product is not in the
United safes but in Europe. These
! gentlemen forget another thing and
! that is that the passage of the Grout
bill would not stop the manufacture
OF oioomargarine. 1t is not designed
for thar purpose and would not have
that effect. 1t will simply require olco
margarine TO be made and sold under
its own color. This will not ruin the
| business.
1t is my Judgment that in case the
| Grout bill should ultimately become
u law. in the year following that en-
actmcnt there would be produced and
sold in the United States from fifty
! to sixty million pounds of oleomargar-
/ inc uncolored. When that article is
sold under its own color 1t will be re-
| tailed mt an oleomargarine price and
will find u broader market among
poor consumers. The people of the
! United States, I6,omOoo in number,
| consume annually upon an average
! one and one-quarter pounds of olco-
! margarine per capita. Bull butter In
| this country IL usually colored In imi-
tation of yellow butter. Denmark pro
| hibits the coloring of oleomargarinc
and the people of that country. con-
srme more thnn four pounds per cap
| Ia annually OF the uncolorcd article.
! The talk that the GrOut hill will crush