Sunday Washington globe., 1902-04-27

The bill to amend the oleomargarine law
of 1886, now being considered in Congress,
has attraCted public attention to this rapidly
growing substitute for butter. Stimulated
by prize offered in 1869 by the French
war Office at the instance of Napoleon III,
NJ. Mege Mouries, Parisieu chemist, dis
covered a method of extracting FROM beef
fat the oil similar to that in milk. The OBJ
ject was to find a substitute for butter that
would keep longer, thus obtaining a cheaper
and less perishable article of subsistence
for the army and people.
By the year 1886 it was so extensively
manufactured in the United States and was
so generally sold in the name of butter,
which it closely resembled, that Congress.
under the pressure of public demand
passed very stringent law regulating it's
manufacture and sale. The object of the
law was mainly to prevent the sale of this
article under the name of butter-a pro.
eeeding which was Of course, very injurious
to the interests Of the producers of the
genuine dairy product, especially as il
conld be produced at considerably less cost
than butter.
The law of 1886 defined butter as the uu.
adulterated product Of milk and cream,
allowing the necessary proportions of salt
and coloring matter. Every substitute for
butter, whether called oleomargarine, but.
terine, oleo, lardine, suiue, or by any other
name whatever was to come under the head
of oleomargariue and be subject to the law
regulating that substance A revenue tax
of two cents per pound was imposed on its
manufacture and penalty bond of not les
than $1,000 was required of manufacturers.
In addition to this an annual license of 5000
was required Wholesalers paid an annual
license Of $3.50 and retailers one of Sl8.
Heavy penalties for the violation of any
of the provisions of the act were provided.
Manufacturers were required to put it up in
packages Of not less than ten pounds, each
package bearing a revenue stamp and
plainly labeled 'oleomargarine. Retailers
were required to sell it from these original
packages so that the purchaser might know
exactly what he was getting. The handling
of the article from the beginning to end was
to be under the strict surveillance of revenue
officers.
Il was found, however, that while this
was sufficient to protect the purchaser, it
was no protection to the actual consumer,
especially in hotels and boarding houses,
as when put on the table it had lost its iden.
tity as oleomargarine and again came bob.
bing up serenely" as butter
The best grade of oleomargarine made of
Oleo oil from beef fat, neutral lard aud but
ter in approximately equal quantities, with
the necessary quantity of salt and the very
small amount of colOrng matter required
to give it the yellow color of fine butter, is
thought to be entirely unobjectionable as
an article of food, and not to be distiu.
guished by the taste from the best genuine
butter. Another very good grade is made
in the same way except that milk and
cream are used in combination with the
oleo oil and neutral lard Inferior grades
contain cotton seed oil, a comparatively
cheap ingredient, which cannot be deprived
of its Characteristic flavor by any process
yet discovered.
Provision was made for the services of
chemists and microscopists to ascertain
whether any substance deleterious to health
was being used in the manufacture of the
compound, and any found to contain such
ingredients was conhscated TO the govern
ment and those responsible subjected to
heavy penalties. Oleomargarine for export
was not required to pay any taxes, but was
to be branded 50 that it could not pass
under the name of butter tariff tax of
fifteen cents per pound was imposed on
imports of the article into this country.
which has been found to be practically pro-
hibitive.
II will be seen by this law which has
been in operation since 1886, that Uncle
Sam has taken lively paternal interest in
the subject of oleomarRarine. Notwith-
standing the strict and somewhat hamper
ing government regulations, the value of
oleOmargarine produced has increased from
S. oOo, 900 in 1890 TO II. SOC, 900 in 1900. The
most of II is manufactured near places
where there IS extensive slaughtering of
cattle and hogs in order TO have abundant
supplies of necessary material close at hand
Sheep suet is not used for the reason that
il does not respond 10 the neutralizing pro-
cess intended to take away the characteristic
favor of the animal so that the compound
can receive the favor of butter from the
aroma Of the milk, cream or butter with
which it is churuedA
Though the law of 1886 was framed with
laborious care and entered into much detail
II did not completely secure the object of
its trainers, and the powerful dairy interests
Of the country have urged the amendments
which passed the House Of Representatives
last winter. Briefly, these amendments
provide that oleomargarine, butteriue, and
other limitations of butter and cheese shall
be subject TO the local laws and regulation
Of the state, territory or district into which
they shall be shipped, in like manner as if
they had been manufactured in said state
territory or district ANY person who
sells, yends or furnishes oleomargarine for
the use or consumption of others, except to
his own family o, guests thereof without
compensation, who shall add to or mix with
such oleomargariue any ingredient or color
alton that causes it TO look like butter Of
any shade of yellow shall also be held to
be manufacturer Of Oleomargarine within
the meaning OF said act, and subject 70 the
provisions thereof"
Then IL Is provided that a tax Of ten cents
per pound shall be imposed on the manu-
facture Of Oleomargarine, provided that
when It is free frOm ingredient Of coloration
that causes IL 10 look like butter Of any
shade Of shellow the tax shall be one.fourth
cent per pound. IL is thought that these
amendments Will free even the con6ding
boarder aud hotel guest from chances of
deception, and that when he sees the
omfuous white dairy rolIp aonroacbire,