The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-28
new BUTTER LAWS
Exactly What Congress Has Done
Il. ID. ST to the Product.
cHAs. \. KNIGHTS SUMMARY
The Pressure on Renovated Butter
Is Not So Severe MS ut First
Represented.

, : . ~ - = :
Represented.
Baisdirs. Wasainoton.
Washington, April 2s.--The cleo bill has
fpally passed both houses. The public
will be interested In knowing, in simple
Language, Just what the new legislation
means, Charley Y knight Of Chicago,
secretary OF the National Dairy associa-
ton. who has been in Washington for sew
eral months. representing the association
In advocacy OF the bill. said:
There has been great deal of misap-
prehension regarding the provisions Of
the senate amendments to the, oleomar-
germ bill in some quarters because their
originals not known. What are called
the Harris amendments-the amendments
made In the senate-were prepared by
the advocates of the bill. They were pre-
pared for two purposes. First, there was
demand upon the part Of congress that
while olepmargerin was being treated for
fraud purposes, renovated butter, also &C
eused OF being fraudulently sold, should
have some distinguishing mark. Reno
waited butter had been described by the
opponents Of the bill as being made Of the
most unwholesome materials, butter
which was dirty, rancid and rotten,
worked over and melted. and deodorized
BY the use Of chemicals and acids. So
thoroughly had this idea become fixed in
the minds Of congress that we saw that
In the, very near future the same idea
would pervade the public mind, and unless
something were done to head 1t Off, the
public, would be suspicious Of all butter.
Then when the law compelled oleomar-
germ to be sold In It's uncolored state,
Ind II could no longer masquerade as but
kar he ,pT1fS
against butter that were advanced before
congress and convince the public that the
only way " could. be certain of getting
wholesome article would, be through the
purchase of oleomargerin, made under
the supervision Of the government an
? expression and claim which r-coated
the tax which the. government had i'm
posed upon oleomargerin for regulatory
purposes. 49,. .-..
For the purpose of forever removing
from the public the fear that 1t would get
old, rancid butter. worked over with
chemicals for pure butter, as claimed by
the opponents Of this bill, we placed Il tax
of 10 cents per pound any butter that
had been mixed or worked over with the
use OF chemicals, or with which there was
mixed any substance foreign to pure but
Ter, which Is described In the law as con-
sisting of the. product Of pure milk or
cream, with or without salt and with or
without the addition Of coloring matter.
This tax was intended to be prohibitive of
oil authorizations, And in this connection
/ will say that I do not know Of pro-
cess butt ermaker in the United States
That will be affected by this provision, be-
cause at this time renovated butter Is
made of fresh, sweet butter, and no chem
lcals are. used in its manufacture. The
leading process butter manufacturers Of
the United Sites welcomed this provision.
and C. H. Weaver & Co.. of Chicago the
largest dealers and makers of this prod
uct In the United States, wrote letter
TO- congress indorsing this proposition.
The same provisions as were contained in
the oleomargerin law of 1886 were en-
acted TO protect the public against impo-
sition In case any adulterated butter
should be made. the manufacturer in ad
dition to, the--10 cents per pound being
compelled to- pay $3.50 per year license,
and the wholesaler $3.50, while the retail
or Is taxed SIS per year.,
Having disposed of adulterated butter
and assured the public of protection
against reworked, rancid and chemically
treated butter, we then proceeded to take
care of renovated butter. Under the new
law this cannot be worked over with
chemicals, must not contain any ingre-
dent foreign to pure butter, and the
factories are placed under the supervi-
sion of the secretary of agriculture for
sanitary purposes. For the purpose Of Sc
curing the branding Of the product of
these factories they are placed under the
internal revenue department with tax
Of $50 per year, which was reduced from
$500 by the house committee A tax Of
q quarter of a cent a pound was placed
upon the product to secure its Identified
tton and pay for the inspection. But here
the taxation OF renovated butter stopped.
There is no tax on either wholesaler or
retailer, this proposition being rejected
by both house and senate. The original
senate amendments placed all mixed but
ter In the category of process reno
waited butter. The house changed the
definition so as to include only such but
ter as Is produced by renovation through
the melting and reorganization of the
product. Ladies', as they are known in
the trade, and limitations. are not classed
as they were by the senate bill. .'f
"The bill all through was prepared by
the friends Of the dairy interests. Every
section and provision has been carefully
considered in congress and out by experts
and the best constitutional lawyers in
the United States. The process butter
amendments have been submitted to the
principal manufacturers Of that article
IN this country In order that no technical
blunder might be made, and every precau-
tloH mas Deen taken 10 steer ctear OF
woodchucks or jokers.' Not an amend
ment remains in the bill that was not
proposed by "a friend with the approval
of those who were promoting it's passage
There is absolutely nothing In it that
will interfere with any honest producer
Of butter, and the section covering adul-
terated butter Is going to clear the name
and reputation Of the pure article, an6
shield 1t from the attacks of the oleo-
nargarin combine in the future.
I'm other words, with the Legislation
that Is included in the oleomargarin bill
nobody need fear the purity of butter tha
Is placed upon the market with yellow
color. The manufacturers cannot AFFORD
TO make adulterated butter; the process
butter, must be pure, wholesome ant
properly branded oleomargarin canno
be made yellow and sold at profit will
the Decent tax, SO that the people neet
have no fear after the first Of next Jul,
that when they spread their bread witt
mixture that is coiored yellow the,
will have anything buta pure and whole
some article of food"
a.. f..su.s ,sr,s w. w. Jermane.
,s+ DAILY OUT OF 1T