The sun., 1909-06-27
TO WIPE OUT OLEO FRAUDS
SECRETARY MACVEAGH SUBMITS
PLAN TO DAIRY MEN.

Says tho Present Law Is ineffective and
Has Produced Barefaced Doocptions
-Proposes Simple Changes-Esti-
mates $4,000, 900 Rise In Revenue.
WASHINGTON. June 2e.-The Secretary
Of the Treasury to-day made this state
ment In regard to the oleomar garine
law.
There has been for long time grow
Ing conviction that the present oleo-
margarine law fails In lis purpose. Not
only the present officials Of the internal
revenue bureau but the late Commits
sioner Yerkes and many others, including
some who represent the dairy interests.
others who represent the manufacturers.
and still others who conserve the interests
OF the merchants and the consumers, have
strongly felt the inefieoti veness Of the
present law and the widespread and In
oreasing fraud and corruption Of the
practices under the law.
.The object OF the law was to prevent
oleomargarine from being sold as butter.
This 1t has failed to do completely. but
instead has encouraged o constantly
growing evasion Of the law, accompanied
by frauds Of tho most barefaoed kind.
Instead OF protecting the butter maker
and dealer 1t has greatly increased the
sale OF oleomargarine as butter.
@The Secretary Of the Treasury has
orystallized some Of the floating opinion
In favor Of change and has had formu-
lated proposition for an Improvement
In the law which might bid fair to correct
the abuses and really protect butter from
the sale OF oleomargarine as butter.
.The main features Of this rather simple
change Of law are these: The restriction
Of the sale OF oleomargarine to consumers.
sizes Of packages, say one, two and three
pounds; the plain marking Of the package
the stamping OF each package with q
revenue stamp in such manner that the
package could not be opened without
destruction OF the stamp. the stamping
OF the package to make 1t distinctive, and
snoh other devices as would make It as
nearly as possible impraoticable to sell
these devices would be aided by
improved administrative aids for the
detection OF any infraction OF the law.
The aim Of such law would be to wholly
differentiate oleomargarine from butter
and 9bligs oleomargarins o., n,l1a TO- stand on its
its own market. ......
quarter Of cent pound. being rated as
uncolored, only one-tenths paying the
tax Of 10 cents, as coored. although a
great bulk of the former is fraudulently
colored and La sold a. butter. Conse-
quently the proposed tax OF two cents
a pound on oleomargarne and renovated
butter would increase the revenues
nearly S2 900 900 a year besides clearing
up good sized Augean stable.
"One point has been misunderstood.
The Secretary Of the Treasury has at no
time intended nor wished TO have this
subject introduced into Congress at
the present session unless II could be
done by the general consent OF the main
interests representing all sides, as 1t is
not q time, In his judgment for, more
new matter to be introduced that would
arouse further controversy and consume
longer time.
measure have been submitted TO some OF
the representatives Of the dairy interests.
Nothing moro has been done and further
action at this time win depend upon
whether the features OF this proposal
appeals successfully to the dairy inter
eats. a->..