Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-01

For an hour and thirty minutes
Senator Dolliver of Iowa spoke on the
floor of the senate on the oleo bill.
His was an exhaustive treatise on but
ter and on its counterfeit. He closed
by saying that the farmers sense of
justice appealed to congress to pass
the oleo bill.
Mr.. Dolliver said:
Outlines Bill.
This bill has for it's purpose to so
amend the oleo law of 1886 as to more
perfectly protect the public. That law
levied a tax of two cents per pound
on oleo requiring it also to be marked
! in such way as to give the public
notice Of its real character 1t was
thought at the time to be adequate and
would have been had not it's promot-
ers deliberately chosen a career OF
false pretense.
Manufacturers Not in Good Faith.
"If those who have invested in this
business had chosen to deal in good
faith with the community no addition
al legislation would have been neces-
sary, but men have tramplec under
foot the laws of thirty-two states for
the purpose OF selling oleo to those
unable to distinguish it from butter.
Fraudulent Business.
",The result is that the business has
become fraudulent through and
through and unless its promoters are
willing to cooperate with the law
aking power in raising it above the
grade Of common cheat, the time VIII
soon come when it will be unfit for
the counteDance of honest men.
Subject to Police Regulations.
1.-THE first section of this bill propos-
os TO subject original packages of all
imitation dairy products to the police
regulations of the state in respect to
such articles. This prevents people in
one state from sending these articles
into another under conditions which
exempt them from the operation OF
the laws of the state to which they
are sent.
Cannot Be Coored.
"The second section prevents the re-
taller from coloring the product, piac-
ing him in the same category with the
manufacturer. The third section re
lates to the collection of the tax.
Elaborate SWindie.
"The original formula of the French
man who invented oleo. and which at
tempted no deception. soon fell into
the hands of enterprising persons who
set out to produce an article SO nearly
akin, chemically, to butter as to re
Guire only the arts of the counterfeit
er to turn it into the most elaborate
swindle ever contrived
Complaint of Public.
in 1886 the complaint of the public
was based largely upon the natural re
pugnance that men everywhere fee
toward food products of doubtful orr
gin and suspicious appearance. Olec
doubtlessly would have been wiped ou1
by the two cent tax and other proVl
sions of>that law if in order to escape
total destruction the industry had not
taken two steps-one in the right dl
] rection and the other in direction t.
leave it stranded and discredited ev
orywhere. The claim is not disputed
hat the modern oleo factory can pro
luce an article of food which would
We rise to no questions of mere SAM
alton and hygiene. | am willing tc
foncede that oleo, at its best. is NJ
longer fubiect to suspicion which /;
few years ago made its most respect
able factories mysterious with the sc
bage plant.
What Act Is For.
THE proposed act of congress vii
deprive the manufacturers only o
the opportunity of filling the channel
of the butter trade with an unlimite
output of bogus merchandise. No re
strictions will be placed upon oleo i
its natural uncolored state.
Will Not Pay Tax.
will oleo pay the tax and go on a
at present? We think not; for thi
reason: Ten cents pound added
the cost of making it would bring tn
retail price of it SO near the usua
price of butter as to leave the retaile
under very much less temptation t
serve his customers with spuriou
goods. The least tolerable feature G
the oleo habit is its customary mas
querade in the price of butter as we
as it's appearance. In Chicago store
have seen all sorts and conditions c
men calling for butter, and taking ole
with them under the name and at tn
current price of the goods which the
: thought they were buying. 1t is to
much to expect dealer, once full
embarked in such an enterprise,
throw or any Of his possible margin
he only way to break up nest lik
that is to reduce to the minimum tn
proceeds of the rascality.
May Sell 1t as Oleo.
This bill leaves the oleo manufa
turer free to offer to the trade the pr
duct of his factorw in it's natural colo
He may simulate the taste Of butter
churning his mixture of beef oil ar
lard in milk and cream; he may COZ
the smell of butter; but this law wi
require him to give the public OF
easy and authentic way to find o.
what kind of lubricant it is actual
spreading upon it's bread. The cour
which the industry has heretofore pu
sued has made it the defendant in Il
criminal courts of nearly every sta
in the union, and put upon it the badt
of disgrace making it impossible
speak the name of it among even IL
mines of Pennsylvania without runnir
a risk of social ostracism. Not eve
the modern liquor traffic at the poin
of it's worst degradation, has ever Ii
ed in such storm of indictments ar