The Minneapolis journal., 1903-03-03
The n NEW OLEO LAW
Why It Seems to Have Increased
the Number Of Dealers in the
Compound.
In Fact It Has Decreased the Sale
of the Imitation Product 80 1.3
Per Cent.
From The Journal Bureau, Room IS, Post Build.

From The Journal Bureau, Room Is, Post Build.
ing, Washington.
Washington. March 3.-A rather curious
state of affairs has developed iii the dairy
states since the oleomargarin law went
INTO effect. In spite Of the fact that the
sale of oleo. taking the country as
whole, decreased 33 1-3 per cent for the
SIN months ending last December 81, the
lrst SIX months of the operation, Of the
new law, the number of dealers has .radi-
caliy, increased, and the average butter
maker, therefore, has been inclined to
look askance at the law, thinking that,
after all. It has not worked to his advan.-
tage. In certain. dairy districts a good
many OF them in the middle west and the
northwest, this feeling of dissatisfaction
mas become rather acute, for it is diff
cult to explain away the evidence Of the
sense of sight. Under the old system no
oleo dealers, or, a very few at most, were
IN sight; under the new system these
dealers blossom forth at every. cross roads,
and at present in nearly all of the cities
and towns, and apparently doing good
business. The eye of the individual OBJ
server does not see beyond the local hori-
zon, and when he contrasts he compare
tive immunity from this invasion, which
ne enjoys before the new legislation went
into effect, with the condition at present,
he Is inclined to think that he has been
handed a gold brick. This feeling is
intensified when, as is usually the case,
he has had no word from the collector Of
internal revenue regarding the significant
falling off in the sale Of bogus butter Z
Charles Y. knight, secretary of the Ma
tiona.l Dairy association, who had much
to do with the securing of the new legis-
lat1oni passed through Washington a few
days ago. on his way to Europe, where
he will spend two or three months, in
specting European dairy methods. for the
purpose of finding out if there is anything
In them which ought to be called to the
attention Of dairymen In the United
States. :He was asked here about the
situation outlined In the foregoing para
graph. and after admitting that it exist
ed, he said:.
IT think that this feeling of suspicion
among the dairy people will entirely dis
appear when they come to understand
that there has actually been a decrease of
one-third in the amount Of oleo manufac-
tured since the new law went into effect
and that that decrease has more than held
its own during January, and thus far in
February. Under the old system much
oleo was sold. in; country towns, and in
country districts in the heart of the dairy
country, for pure butter, and there was
no easy way of detecting the5fraud. This
business has been ruined. { The bogus but
ter dealer is a thing Of the past, and
when cleo is sold at all, 1t is Sold for what.
it really is. It Is advertised, storekeepers
who handle it put up signs announcing
that fact, and the business is carried OIL
openly and aboveboard There has been
an apparent j increase in the number of
dealers, but; in reality there has been a.
heavy decrease, for the new law renders
substitution practically impossible. DEAL
ers who handle oleo have been compelled
to show themselves to the public, and are
now known. Previously they nlasquerad-
ed dealers in butter; and on the SUR
face were a part Of the dairy forces Of the
country; now they stand on their own
bottoms. s,.st :. -
.We have a, number Of interesting ex-
periencesJ with local butter makers who
have insisted that the oleo- business had
the. result of the new law. Much cor
respondences resulted. and at times we
We're unable to convince them that they
were%in the wrong. The annual report OF
the - collector Of internal revenue. pub
lie Since the first Of the year, was needed
to clinch our point, and as that report
reaches the butter districts, the com
plants are less frequent - >,E,s.f&
Mr.. Knight calls attention to the Inn
portant fact that all oleo now on the mar
ket is either white, the natural color; or
a very pale yellow. 1t is impossible at
present to give it a butter yellow tinge
without violating the law. All dis
eliminating buyers, therefore. will be able
at a glance to determine whether they are
being imposed upon. The manufacturers
or oleo are spending large sums expert
menting with coloring matter. They are
: anxious to- discover a vegetable coloring
which will enable them to make their
product resemble butter and at the same
time keep within the law. Thus far they
have not: been successful, although they
hope to succeed with palm oil as a base.
But the best they do at present as stated,
is to give oleo a pale yellow tinge.
In the opinion Of Mr.. knight; the pres
ent: law should be strengthened by the
addition of a clause giving the federal au-
thorities the right to inspect the .nanufac-
ture of oleo,; to this end visiting the fac
tories and ,ascertaining what ingredients
present no such right is given them.
They inspect the product after manufac- :
ture, outside the factory. An effort at
securing this additional legislation will be
made, probably, in the next congress, and
if successful: the possibility of fraud will
be permanently removed.
Since the passage Of the new law. the
price of butter has increas sed- about 4
cents. per pound, on the average. Innle
diately following the enactment there was
a. big: jump, In price, due at the time, it
was generally understood. to the legisla-
.tion, and fears prevailed that butter was
to be much higher In price for all future
time. The sudden increase, however. it
has, been seen. was due to failure of pas
turage: The butter makerSaWifl probably
continue to make an addiU6nal profit Of
about Is per cent. but nothing beyond
that, according to Mr.. knight. =: =
.*.E = w. w. Jermane.
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AncOTTNTS nIDN'T TIRE