Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-24
Council Bluffs Dealer in Trouble
Over Substitute Butter, Claim
Extenuating Circumstances
QUESTION OF coLoRING MATTER
Grocers Alege They Have No Way of
Knowing Whether Oieo Contains 1t,
and Claim Protection of WholesaI-
ers - Latter Presumed to Have
Complied With the Law.
Special to Time;s-Republican.

Council Bluffs, Jan. 24.-The indict-
ment and arrest of thirteen grocers OF
Council Bluffs on a charge of selling a
substitute for butter, has developed a
situation, they claim, which is unjust
to them, and that brings out facts and
information that will be of interest and
value to dealers in every part of the
state The article which the dealers
were selling ard upon which the in
dictments werce based was oleomar
garinc and the indictments are
in the main based on the
charge that the oleo had coloring
matter in it. which is contrary to the
law. While this charge Is not denied.
the dealers claim the protection of the
Wholesalers, who We're presumed to
spects.
one store. the proprietors of which
entrance large box partly filled with
imitation butter. On each side of the
box are stamped the words Substitute
for Butter The contention of the
pure food department is that each
package should be stamped and also
that the coloring matter was illegal.
The grocerymen claim they have no
way of knowing whether their cleo has
any coloring matter in it, as it is in
variably almost white, but on the last
count the dealers can be held liable for
an infraction Of the law. The dealers
claim no attempt was made by them to
deceive the public and that signs We're
posted announcing the fact that imita-
ton butter was sold therein. They adj
NIT that technically they are liable, but
feel that the eXtenuating circumstance
of their displaying openly the goods
with the sign on the box, should alb
solve them from fine.
One of the accused grocerymen said:
ut behooves every dealer in the state
to require an affidavit from the manu-
facturers or wholesalers, that their
product contains no coloring matter,
and then see to it ourselves. that the
packages have the proper labels. We
are all supplied with stamps with our
firm name, address and the word
'oleomargarine' in large letters across
the bottom, but this, / understand, is
not sufficient. We have used these
stamps on all the retailed packages Of
oleomargarine sold. The factories us
ually send lis supply of yellow coll
oring matter to sell to our customers
who may care to use it, but we never
use it and I believe all the other gro
cerymen throw the stuff away also. We
can see to it that the proper labels
are on The packages, but so far as the
coloring matter is concerned, the in
spectors had better get after the fac
tories. We are not to blame for that"
The same plea is made by grocery
men who have been arrested and taken
before justices iof the peace on COM
plant of the pure food commissioner
for having sold various adulterated ar
ticles. such as flavoring extracts,
ETC. 1t is claimed that under the gem
eral laws of the country the dealers are
entitled to protection, as they are en-
titled to believe the wholesalers and
manufacturers have been compelled in
the first instance to comply with the
pure food laws. The recent arrests
here have aroused the greatest interest
and discussion, and all are wondering
where the prosecution is going to stop,
and where it will break out next.
Shelves are being scanned and labels
are being examined as they never
were before.