The Dickinson press., 1901-01-26
Oleomargarine.
Prof. kaufman and Mr.. ) hcian Pro aad Con
on the Grout bill.

! w. oiS SiNS" NNuSAS
kaufman's recent letter favoring the
bill. Mr.. Kaufman is Of the North
Dakota agricultural college. He says:
BY this bill congress is requested to
tax oleomargarinc 10 cents per pound,
when colored to resemble butter; but
when uncolored but X cent per pound.
Swift & Co., n of the leading manu-
facturers of ol~eomargarine, were the first
to spring the decrease of 81 per head on
the beef cattle of the country if this bill
should become a law, and strange as it
may seem it was swallowed verbatim ct
liberatum by many of the leading stock
men of the western states.
Let us investigate this statement. The
latest figures available are for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1899. According to
the report Of the department of agri-
culture, there we're slaughtered at forty
five points under government inspection,
100000 head of cattle in 1890. Enough
were slaughtered at outside points un-
inspected to bring the total up to $780,
600 head. The report made by the
treasury department last winter, stated
that there was used in the oleomargarine
produced in this country last year IA
4ol, 76o pounds Of oleo oil which is said
to be made from beef fat. Divide the
pounds OF oil by the number of cattle
slaughtered and we have a fraction less
than five pound of this beef fat from each
animal.
The Standard Butterine Co., Of Wash
ington, u. c., state in their prospectus
that the value of this oil is ~ cents a
pound. Five pounds at OK cents a
pounds would be 47H cents. When sold
as tallow this same beef fat would be
worth thirty cents. so the loss would be
only IN cents per head. Some little
difference between I7H cents and So.
am inclined to believe the stockmen
of North Dakota have been %misquoted.
The creamery business west of the Mis-
souri, River is the best in the state.
WHY, there are 100000 milk cows in
the United States. More then three times
as many as are slaughtered for beet
every year and yet the owners of those
100000 through the makers of butter.
inc, want to say that the owners of those
100000 shall not be protected from
the sale of fraudulent butter.
]. E. Phelan read the Kaufman letter
and Immediately came out in a letter
supporting the stockmen's side. Follow.
ing are extracts:
am safe in saving that the Grout bill
is vicious in its tendency and foreign to
the American characteristic of fair play
and freedom of industrial enterprises
within the borders of our country, be-
cause it seeks to destroy the industry by
placing a tax OF 10 cents per pound on
the finished product. OF course it is
commended that uncolored butterine may
have freedom of market and open COM
petition with butter, but when the butter.
inc interests seek to have the artificial
coloring of butter prohibited, the prin-
ciple of scientific tinting of a palatable
product is on a different basis.
1t is my opinion that there is not a
stockman in North Dakota or Montana
or any other similar state, who under.
stands his business, but opposes the
Grout bill.
The last information l had on the sub
ject was to the effect that North Dakota
creameries were shipping their product
to the Pacific coast and after paying
transportation and commission, netted
~ cents per pound.
OutttIlue, VI OlcOlldl d. luCs 10 Piou'
uct of scientific education, it is the prod
uct of accomplished chemists. It wa:
my privilege recently, while in Chicago
to see a display of the refined by-prod'
ucts turned out by Armour 4 Cos
works, as supervised by DR.. Manns, who
is chief chemist there, and | was de
lighted with the remarkable display o.
the results of education and industry.
In Chicago alone, during 1900, there
was received 2,72o,o46 head of cattle, ex
elusive of calves. Granting Professor
Kaufman's minimum estimate of loss a
IN cents per head, the loss would
amount to nearly 100000. Based on
the value Of oleo oil, it would be over
three times as much.
Swift 4 Co. have slaughtered as high
as Io,343 cattle in n day at their six
plants in as many cities. The same
company. in 1899, manufactured H,75o,.
I55 pounds of butterine. Their weekly
pay roll amounts to s2Il,252.5o. and they
are but one of several in their line.
The live stock industry of our nation
today represents the sum of 100000.
o