Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-08-28
oLEoMARoARINE LAW.
II Has Diminished the Production OF
thu Fraud "A Per Cent.

the Fraud A Per Cent.
Charles Y. Knight, Secretary OF the
National Dairy Union, has recently Is
sued statement of the effect Of oleo-
margarine tax law during the first
year of its operation. 1t appears that
the production of oleomargarine in the
United States, for the years named,
was as follows: 1890. 107,045,O45
lbs; 1901, 1O4,903,S56 lbs; 1912,
126315,427 lbs; 1923, 71,211,244 lbs.
It will be seen that during the first
year of the law there was falling off
of 55,1O4,1S3 lbs, or A per cent, in the
manufacture Of the article. or the
71,211,244 lbs. Of oleomargarine manu-
featured during the fiscal year ending
June 80, '03, 6S,490,S00 lbs. came under
the head of "uncolored' and paid tax
of Nc per h., aggregating $171,2274S;
2,720,440 lbs. We're artificially colored
and paid tax of 10c per Id. or $272,-
044.4S.
Upon this the New York Produce
Review remarks: 1T will be seen that
the effect of the law, as anticipated by
its advocates, has been to cause very
material reduction in the manufacture
of oleomargarine, amounting to no less
than A per cent. of the previous years
output. Undoubtedly the effect upon
production would have been still
greater had the manufacturers not
succeeded in passing a large quantity
of slightly colored cleo under the &c
tax before the Internal Revenue
officials put a stop to the use of cotton
seed oil containing small percentage
Of palm oil as a coloring ingredient.
All through the late fall and winter
a large part of the, oleomar-
garine manufactured under the Nc
tax as free from artificial colora-
ton" carried a light yellowish hue, but
when the treasury department found
means of detecting this source of color
Git was palm OLD as one of which had
been declared artificial"
and when a prominent manufacturer
was assessed large sum on such |
goods previously made under the Nc |
AK to bring the rate up to the 10c re- |
luired under the law, the full effect Of
he law became apparent.
"On the whole the revenue authori-
les have evidently enforced the law I
o the best Of their ability, and the
fleet in taxing the color out of the |
,leomargarine has been as complete
g could have been expected during
he first year of the laws operation.
f, during the coming year, the
shall be unable
O obtain sufficient color to
initiate butter without paying the
&C tax rate we may expect further
Material shrinkage in oleomargarine
for 1t has been demon
trated that there is as yet at least,
My a very limited sale for the arti-
lie unless it can be passed off for but
er. The validity of the law is still {
D be passed upon by the Supreme
curt, but it has been upheld in a
-nited States District Court, and {
mere is little reason TO fear that the
ourt of last resort will overthrow it.
The dairymen of the country may {
ell feel satisfied with the results of i
lie new law up TO, this time. But 1t '
so evidently effectual that the oleo i
lterests must be expected to fight it '
, the last ditch. and there is neces- S
ty for Strengthening the dairy Or /
anizations TO meet and repel the con- i
nued attack. The National Dairy a
MON is the natural means of defense t
1T should receive a generous and c
unanimous support. t
The enforcement of the German h
eat Inspection law, which went in t
effect April l is having a marked a
feet on importation of meats into
ermany from the United States
nsul-General Guenther writes from
that only little more than !,
ven tons of hams were imported .
ON the United States in April and ;,
ay this year. as against 262 tons in y
e same period of 1902 The imports :,
bacon decreased in the same y
onths from 1,749 tons to 81 tons. .,
lie fresh beef imports into Germany =
April and May were only 1872 tons, !.
against also in the same months =
last year, and the fresh pork i'm q, 9.
rts only 936 tons, as against 1883 :.
ms. The Turkish government has !"
moved the prohibition against the :,
portation of American pork pro- ~ ~
cts into Turkey.