Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-30
President of the State Dairy
Association Issues Warming
to Dairymen
ATTEMPT TO REPEAL oLEo LAW
Declares That Any Effort to Reduce
the Tax or Repeal the Law Should
Be Opposed to the Last Ditch by the
Dairy Interests = Text Of Letter to
Dairymen.
Special to Times-Repunlican.

Special to Times Republican.
Mason City, Dec. 30.-over the sig
nature of Sam B. Shilling of Masor
City, president Of the Iowa State Dairy
association, the National Dairy Union
has sent out the following appeal:
To Fight oIeomarsarne.
| The dairymen must again prepare
| themselves to engage in struggle to
protect their rights. Their industry is
again threatened by the manufactur-
ers Of oleomargarine.
For long time reports have been
current Of an attempt that would be
made to secure repeal, or modifica-
ton. of the present oleomargarine law.
1t has been our opinion all along that
they would not attempt this but would
undertake to secure the passage Of a
law preventing the using of coloring
matter of butter. In this we have been
mistaken, for bill has been introduce
ed in the house, which, If 1t should be-
come a law, would practically mean
the undoing of all that has been done
so far in protecting the sale Of butter
from the illegal sale OF oleomargarine.
That our present law as 1t stands
has been satisfactory to the dairymen
is evidenced by the fact that they havss
sought in no way to change 1t; and
that it has been very satisfactory to
the oleomargarine interests Is evil
denced by the fact that they have been
in a constant fight to have 1t declared
unconstitutional, secure its repeal or
evade it.
The fact of the large decrease In the
output of oleomargarine since the law
went into effect shows that the people
do not want it and will not use 1t IT
they know what they are buying. See
ing the uselessness of trying to get
their goods into consumptive channels
for what they are and realizing the
effectiveness Of the present law, there
is but one thing left for them to do
and that is modify the law In such a
way that they can get their product
upon the market so it will look ike
butter and at a low cost.
They can now get the uncolored ar
ticle on the market cheaply, but the
people know what it is in this guise
and don't want 1t.
The bill, as drawn, asks for reduce
ton on the colored goods from 10
cents, as it is at present, to cents.
1t is also suspiciously vague and in
definite in It's definitions Of adulterated.
and renovated butter, and of what con-
stitutes adulteration of butter.
The dairymen's protection today Is
in the fact that when oleomargarine Is
colored to resemble butter they must
pay 10 cents per pound for 1t; and
when they take away that part of the.
law you are taking away all the pro-
lection the dairymen have.
Reducing this tax to 2 cents, as this
bill provides, will be simply offering
greater inducement for the Illicit and
illegal coloring and sale of the product
that is so prevalent at the present
time.
The dairymen must be awake to the
danger that threatens them. They
must get together and organize. Pass
resolutions and have them ready so
that, when the proper time comes and
we notify them, we can fairly deluge
the members Of congress with letters
to them the dairymen are in earnest
and that they are power their repre-
sentatives dare not ignore.
There must be no laggard, no hang
ing back Buttermakers and creamery
must call meetings of their
members and explain the situation,
enlist their services and support.
We not only will need money but we
will need your membership fully as
bad.
When a creamery company contrib
utes to the support of the National
Dairy Union all of their members be-
come members of the organization,
and members give the organization
strength.
The Montour News.