Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-04-23
CIRCULAR INsTRuCTs IN HANDL-
ING UNLAWFUL ARTICLE.
COLOR WHILE YOU WAIT
Manufacturers of Butterine Lay Trap
for Retailers That VIII Lead to
Penalty-Conspirators not Liable
Uncle Sam Watching-Many
Have Bitten on Bait.

SS~N~SNOA
revenue keeps many men busy day
and night. The latest industry to at
tempt to circumvent the laws of Uncle
Sam is that of butterine. The fed
eral law levies a tax of l.; cents per
pound on colored butterine and quar-
ter of a cent on uncolored. The stat
utes of Wisconsin prohibit the sale
of the colored fraud in this state under
any circumstances. That is the stu
alton on the surface; but beneath the
serene, plain statement of the law
there is going on some underground
work. The manufacturers of butter
inc are seeking to lead retail dealers
into the trap of becoming manufac-
turers and thus to expose them to a
heavy penalty in the way of fine.
Retail dealers in butter have lately
been receiving from a certain manu-
facturer of butterine circular which
reads in part as follows:
The United States permits the
consumer to color butterine for use
on their family tables thereby saw
ing Of ga cents per pound. The
following method is practical-the re-
tail dealer sells the butterine uncoI
ored, which is handed to the pur-
chaser on piece of parchment paper,
who requests the seller to color it.
The dealer has the butter coloring in
a bottle and measures the exact
amount required to color the butterine,
lays the paper containing the butter,
inc on his counter, spreads out the
butterine with his butter ladie ano
works in the butter coloring just as
one would handle dough. The pur-
chaser is then returned the identical
butterine yellow and pleasing in ap-
pearance.'
The manufacturer further states to
the retail dealer that he who will
demonstrate how to color will secure
monopoly On the butterine business
in his locality; and that he, the manu-.
facturer, will furnish coloring free
with instructions how to use with
each purchase. The obliging manu-
facturer further states that the retail
eT who wishes to avail himself of this
splendid opportunity to beat the gov
eminent and cheat his customers can
get the necessary coloring matter,
shipped with hts stock of butterlne
by saying in his order, send coloring
with order
It appears that already a large
number of retailers have bitten on
the bait, but whether any arrests have
been made is not known. The I'm.
fortunate part of the situation is that
the plotting manufacturer incures no
liability. He simply seeks an outlet
for his manufactured product and
leaves the retail dealer to fight the
battle with the government, as he
certainly will have to do.
The United States statutes provide
that: ANY person that sells, vends
or furnishes oleomargarine for the
use and consumption of others, ex
cept to his own family table without
compensation, who shall add to or
mix with such oleomargarine any
artificial coloration shade of yellow,
shall also be held to be a manufac-
turer Of oleomargarine within the
meaning of said act, and subject 70
the provisions thereof"
So it appears clearly that the re-
taller in the case proposed by the
manufacturer will become in the con-
temptation of the law manufacturer,
and one without a license. The pen
atty for engaging in such a business
without the proper license is very
heavy. Why the licensed manufactur.
ers seek to lead retailers into such
trap is hard to conjecture. The
license required by the law before
the retailer can do so much as mix
in coloring matter into one batch is
$500; the fine and penalties for en-
gaging in the business without the
license is much heavier.
The commissioner of internal rev.
enue at Washington has instructed all
collectors of internal revenue to re
port as manufacturers of oleomargar-
inc, subject to the special tax OF $500,
all who add or mix into butterine any
coloring matter which will cause i.
to look like butter of any shade o.
yellow. In addition of the penalty
incurred by violation of the federal
laws, there are ample provisions mad
by Wisconsin statutes to protect the
butter makers of this state 1t is
hoped that no local retailers will be
lured into this Ubiquitous trap so en-
ticingly laid by the manufacturers OF
spurious butter. 1t will be noted that
the plausible circular holds out to
the retailer that he can save for him.
self the ga cents claimed by the
government as tax on the colored
butterine. The philanthropic manu-
facturer does not attempt his fraud
in the name of cheaper butter for the
poor.