The progressive farmer., 1902-02-25

6n0 Ol6OmarBArluo 6ONOCd6oSB ~ "O
are TO judge by it's reply to our edl'
torial of last week We shall take
up it's points one by one.
The Post errs first in assuming
that we wish, and that the advocates
of the Oleomargarine Bill wish,
nothing more nor less than TO destroy
the oleomargarine industry in order
to build up the dairy industry.
II this were true, we should have
TO plead guilty TO the charge of ad-
vocating GLASS legislation. But let
us see. The measure that has just
passed the House seems to be utterly
misunderstood by our contemporary,
and it may be we'll to give again it's
main features. They are these
There is now, if we are correctly in
formed, small tax on all oleo, col
ored or unoolored. The bill adopted
by the House proposes that there
shall be no tax on oleo sold for what
it is and in it's natural color; tax
only on that oolOred to deceive, to
initiate butter. Everybody who
wants to make oleo and sell it for
what it is, without cOloring it so as
TO permit it's being sold for what it
is not, will have the privilege to do
so without paying any special tax
whatever. And everybody who wishes
TO buy this conglomeration of lard,
oleo oil, glycerine, sesame, stearine,
eto, called oleo will have the privi-
lege of doing so, and at lower price
than now. What Is wrong here?
Where is the class legislation?
"But," the Post tells US, sit is
dangerous legislation, GLASS legisla-
tion," TO impose this tax on oleo COL
ored to initiate butter. It wishes
to know why the oleo manufacturer
has nob the same right TO color his
product that the dairYmen have to
color theirs. He has. And we hope
that he will retain it. But, mark
you, the dairyman does not color his
product so as to initiate any other
product From time immemOrial
the yellow color has been INSOFAR
ably connected with butter. "The
COW has a copyright on that color, "
as some one has said. True, the
shade ranges from one nearly i'm
percepti ale 80 rich golden. And
the dairyman does use color, but not
TO deceive, nor to,imitate q better and
higher priced product, but to secure
uniformity. 1t having been found,
as we have said, that some shade of
yellow is natural TO most butter, the
dairyman puts in butter color to give
uniformity of color, just as he uses
butter molds TO give uniformity of
shape The OleO manufacturer has
now, and will have after the passage
of this bill, the same right TO color
his prOduot UnifOrmly-the undis-
puted right, that dairymen have, TO
give all the product the same color
that the larger part of il naturally
has. But this Oleomargarine Bill
does say that he must not longer as
sumo the color that enables his mix.
ture TO be sold for what it is not
Any other shade of the rainbow the
may use, but he must
not use the color on which the COW
has a patent right and which she has
been using using since the grand
children of Adam and Eve ohurned
the first butter. Where Is the injus-
tioe hereP What privilege is given
the dairyman and unjustly withheld
from the oleomargarine manufac-
turer?
But the Post tells us that 1t, too,
wants oleo sold for whatit is: "That
oleomargarine, and renovated butter
as well, should be sold under it's own
name respectively, and I OF as 'cream-
cry butter is supported by common
honesty" Right here we join hands
heartily with the Post. This is that
for which we are lighting, and if it is
what the Post wishes also, it will at
once cease it's opposition to the oleo
tax. In no other way except the
way given in this bill oan we secure
the sale of ole0 for what it is. 1t is
the only way out; there is no other
whereby we may secure the
common honesty" of which the
Post speaks If we allow the manu-
factarers 80 color their 15 cent prod
ucs t0 initiate % cent butter, and to
do this go cleverly that the average
man cannot tell the difference by
iusk go certain Ra man Ia