The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-28
MINNESOTA'S
DAIRY PROGRESS
Casting Off "Oleo" Trust, Butter Industry Has
Taken One of Most Important Positions in
the 5tate--Co-operative Creamery Springs to
Fore as One of Best Assets--Still Room for
Great Development of Cheese Industry.


BY w. w. WALL. Secretary Of the N
The Safe Dairy and Food department
has entered upon the twenty first year
Of its existence and look backward
certainly proves the wisdom of its estab-
llshment.
Honorable W. c. Rice, now resident
OF Goodhue county was the first
missioner and he found upon assuming
the responsibilities of the office that
the field was broad and the need of
vigorous enforcement of the law for the
protection of the dairy interests Of the
ESPECIALLY We're his his EARNEST efforts;
needed to force from the market that
arch enemy Of the dairymen, oleomar-
garlne, which in imitation of dairy but
ter, was to be found in nearly every
grocery store in the larger cities of the
state. In fact, reports show that dur
| ing the winter Of 1984-5, 100000
pounds Of that product, valued at $780,
600 was sold to our citizens for butter.
"Oleo' Knocked Out ,#r
Thus this commercial child of uncer-
tain parentage had been forced upon an
unsuspeecting public with a result that
our dairy butter was selling for. from
diate result Of the passage Of the oieo-
margarine act Of 1885 and the creation
Of the dairy and food commission to en-.
force it, was the increase in price of
butter from the low ebb of the former
year to from IL to 18 cents a pound
Mr.. Rice stepped from the pulpit to the
arena where 'Ebull butter''' in full
armor, awaited his ministerial charge,
and he was not found wanting in cour-
tSg Ss In ABILITY dSsPss4p ts gsap% % tts the sH o2
inal "oleo' act, can truthfully be said
to have rescued the Minnesota dairyman
from the "slough of despond'' into
which. he had settled in almost hopeless
The palmy days of wheat had passed
and the farmer who had previously put
all of his eggs (wheat) in one basket,
found himself on the financial rocks
with not even money enough to pay in
terest, to say nothing Of the principal
of his Indebtedness. His necessity was
the opportunity also of the money lend
ers and like the "star of empire'' he
would be compelled to take his way
westward could not the dairy industry,
| so vital to his prosperity, and that Of
the state, be released from the grasp
of the oleomargarine trust.
| 49,, Great Industry Rise.
The first case brought before Min
nesota court to enforce the Eoleon law
was argued before Judge Koon, Of Min
neapolis. He held that section of
that act was unconstitutional, much to
the delight Of the *eoleo' contingent,
millions, but fortunately the supreme
court reversed the decision and then
the farmer smiled, and to this day the
smile has not feome off. ~
| How fortunate the contest so happily
/ terminated, for Minnesota is today max
ing nearly 80,000,00O pounds Of cream
cry butter alone, which, to say nothing
of the dairy butter, brings to dairymen
of the state over $15,000,000 annually.
In 1886 there were only 146 cream
conducted under private ownership.
The first cooperative creamery was es-
tablished at Clark s Grove in 1S90y ff-
teen years ago. Today there are SIS
Of these creameries owned and success
fully managed by the farmers Of the
state. thus demonstrating that co-opera-
tion is the key to unlock the door of
success, and could well be followed by
our farmer friends in other lines.
The creamery under private owner
ship, as our records show, was greater
I
promoters than to the owner, for dur
ing the ten years from 1886 to 1896,
100 creameries in as many towns ceased
to exist
| -, Growth Is Phenomenal
The failure Of these creameries was
but temporary, a slight hating in the
evolution that has taken place in the
conduct Of the business, and today we
but thirty-fve of the hundred towns.
The counties of Fillmore, Freeborn,
Steele, Stearns, Carver Faribault, Blue
Earth and Martin will produce this year
over 20,000,000 pounds of the finest but
ter produced in the world, and they
are not the exception, but the rule, Of
our counties where ttold boss - has been
invited to aid in -enlarging the bank
account Of our farmers. ~
Freeborn county-the birthplace of
the cooperative creamery in our state
leads all Of the dairy counties in pro-
duction of butter with about 100000
pounds annually. Steele follows with
nearly 100000 pounds and Stearns,
cries of any county in the state, stands
third in production with nearly 3,OOO,-
900 pounds annually According to ap-
proXimated reports from Ramsey county
more butter is made in st. Paul than
in any. county in the state, the. figures
given being 100000 pounds in round
numbers; but this is from gathered
cream shipped from all points of the
compass and is not the product of tribu
tary farmers. Similar conditions pre-
vail in Minneapolis, where 5,614,514
pounds were produced in 1908.
1 Lessons In Denmark.