The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-04-09
SEN ATOR DILDIN CHAM ON
OLEOMARGARINE.

Senator Dillingham; speech in ia
vor of the oleo bill when on its pas
sage in the Senate was one of those
efforts with which his constituents
are familiar, characterized by force,
candor and a persuasive quality which
has often stood the Senator in
good stead. His speech was the prod
uct of deep research into the facts of
the subject under consideration. 1t
was not for buncombe," for effect
at home, but aimed directly at the
solid merits of the matter, and the as
founding dement's of the traffic the
bill was intended to destroy. The
statistics of the enormous manufacture
of oleomargarine, the fraudulent
means employed to sell the product
for dairy butter at the price of the
latter, were fully presented and set
forth. 1t was the first time, the Sen
ator had come under the fire of inter-
rogation by opponents. He was fire.
quently interrupted and always able
to hold his ground. Some strong points
he made will appear in the course of
the subjoined extracts. The main
facts of the extent of production and
the frauds perpetrated upon consum-
ers are pretty we'll known. These
were arrayed in Mr.. Dillingham; most
forceful way. Some of the interest.
ing details of his presentation of the
subject, especially the benefit of the
law to the laboring man, are the fol.
lowing
A circumstance has come to my per-
sonal knowledge which occurred in
the city of Washington, and indicates
the way the business has been done
under existing law l was appointed
last year as one of the visiting trus-
tees OF the Government Reform School
located in this city, and when there
upon visit learned that it was the
custom OF the officers of the school to
advertise monthly for the supplies
needed during the next month They
did TINS upon one occasion. They adj
Vertlsed for oleomargarine. They ad-
vertlsed also for butter They procur-
ed both, as they supposed Before
the month was gone they were in
doubt and caused both samples to be
examined at the Department of Agri-
culture. One was found to be oleo-
margarine and that which was bought
for butter was also found to be oleo-
margarine, and the Government of the
United States had been paying four
teen cents for oleomargarine bought as
oleomargarlne, and paying twenty
three cents for exactly the same ar
tlcle furnished under the name of but
ter and i'll answer to the contract
which they had made with the grocer
to furnish butter.
The report of the minority of the
committee which has been laid upon
our desks, contains this statement:
The alleged frauds committed in the
sale of oleomargarine are not attribut-
ed to manufacturers, upon whom the
tax falls, but upon the retail dealers.
This was news to me- My investi-
cation Of the subject led me to think
that the manufacturers were the par
ties who were responsible for the
fraud. When l noticed this l remem-
bered that the names of a few of the
engaged in the manufac-
ture OF oleomargarine were suggestive
Of guilt. Referring to them, the very
first name | came across was that of a
concern in Providence, r. l., which
had adopted the name of Vermont
Manufacturing Company. Why have
they adopted the name Vermont Man.
ufacturing Company? 1t is not Yer
mont institution nor is it Vermonter
who is running it; but Vermont is
famed for her butter. WAS it not
adopted for the purpose Of creating a |
false impression?
| listened with great deal of in. |
5erest to the argument of the Senator
rom Mississippi made in support of |
,he rights of the wage earners of the |
United States My suggestion, by |
way of reply, would be first, if the |
dill we have under consideration De.
comes law, it will reduce the tax
IN oleomargarine uncolored, and it
will give the people an opportunity |
o purchase it in any State in this
Union as oleomargarine, and at price
"a cents per pound less than it could
otherwise have been gotten for.
1t is said that reproach attaches To |