The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-04-21
USE OF OLEOMARGARINB.
Statistics of Manufacture and Con
sumption of the Product.

sumption of the Product.
That oleomargarine law passed by
the Fifty-eighth congress has proved a
failure from the dairymens point of
view IS the inevitable conclusion to be
deduced from careful examination OF
the figures just issued by the commits
siOner of internal revenue. 1T was the
expectation of some persons that 1t
would practically drive OleOmargarlne
out of the market, at least as COM
petft0r of butter. That it has utterly
failed i'm this object is proved by the
commissioner figures. which show
that n total of 50.000.000 pounds of oleo-
margarine has been sold in the elgnl
months ended February %. decrease
Of only thirty per cent from the cor
responding period Of the previous year
and q decrease by no means SURPRISING
Sin view of the fact that in the first rev
months Of this period the production
was materially curtsiled because the
manufacturers were engaged IN au-
justng their methods to the provisions
Of the new law Since what might be
termed the reimbursement period sales
have steadily increased, and II IS DOUBT
full III the next eight months VIII snow
the slightest diminution. In the 1udg-
ment of some authorities they VIII snow
ont IF the total Of $1,000 900 pounds
sold only 16 600 pounds was artihcially
co10red and thus subjected to the tax
of 10 cents a pound The remainder
was technically uncOlOred. and PAID the
tax of one-quarter cent a pound, IN
lion of a 2-cent-a-pOund tax provided
bv the old laws; but this does not
mean that it was white, the manutac-
turers ha wing so adjusted the pFopoI-
4fon of lawful ingredients as to give
their product a reasonably rlch coiof
without the use of artificial colorlng
matter" this being accomplished by an
increase in the amount of cottonseed OIL
and Of genuine colored butter entering
into the composition OF the oleoli ar
earine. Moreover, the government mas
suffered a considerable loss of revenue
as "A result of the new law for tne
eirht months ended February 3. l9ul
the revenue collected in the form OF
taves on oleOmargarine and licenses
fo soil the same amounted to SlSb3,-
461 7s. Receipts from the same sources
for 4 like period ended February -,
1903. amounted to only S926 l0s-o'' "A oe-
crease of 81 .33l-a54-6b.
euue. the number of licensed retalleis
of uncolored oleomargarine has gfeatly
increased the license fees having oeeti
reduced from $3.50 for wholesalers ana
s1s for retailers to 5000 for wholesalers
and e6 for retailers Of the uncOloleu
product Tt was the freely admitted eN~
pectation of the promoters OF the laW
that ",Vhite Cleo would find little SAFE.
and had it been necessary to make the
product white this assumption Would
doubtless have proved correct. but the
skill of the producers IN giving TO Iheh
product a yellow tinge has defeated all
such expectations
The anti-oleomargarine law also pro-
vi1ed for the proper labelling OF reno
waited or process" butter. for the sys-
tematc inspection of the factories. and
imposed IA tax on the product Of one
quarter cent a pound. While there are
no figures with which to make compari-
sens II is the opinion of those familiar
with the trade that the sale of process .
butter has undergone no material
diminution. The receipts for the eight
months ended with February from this
sosrce amounted to s95. 46S.40 showing
sales of IS. 1880 pounds. With no lit
file shrewdness the manufacturers. al,
though compelled to label their product
renovated butter" have seized on the
government inspection as furnishing n
guarantee of purity and advertise it as
prepared under the supervision Of the
United States government Taking a
general siew OF the results of the law.
1t Is doubtful II il has i'm any way BEN
euted the producers of genuine butter.
while it has occasiOned no inconsider-
able loss Of revenue to the government.
New Eork Times.