Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-29
IMITATION BUTTER TO BE LARGE
SUBJECT DURING NEXT
FEW YEARS.
EFFORT WILL BE MADE
TO GET TAX REDUCED
Beef Trust Thru Senator Lorimer to
Push the Fisht-Want Excise Re-
duced From 10 to cents-Hish
Price of Butter Increases Demand for
oleo Among the Consuming Glasses.
Especial Correspondence

Washington, June 29.-Oleomarga-
rine is going to be an issue in the next
session of congress, and indications are
that it will be the subject of one of the
big struggles of the next few years.
There is now an excise of 10 cents
per pound on colored oleomargarine,
which is designed to be prohibitive. 1t
was not imposed without a long and
hard fight, in which the people from
the western dairy states went to the
limit 10 protect the butter business. Mr..
Dolliver took leading part in that
struggle, and to him the dairy states
and interests are now turning for help
in saving the dairy business.
The beef trust is charged with lead
ership in the movement to get the ex-
else reduced from 10 to cents. Sec
rotary of the Treasury MacVeagh, who
Is a Chicago man, and geographical
proximity to beef trust headquarters is
always mentioned when the subject is
under discussion, has vigorously ex-
pressed the opinion that the cent tax
ought to be imposed, because, he says,
1t would raise at least 100000 of
revenue, while the present tax is prohi-
bitive and raises none, while being an
inducement to frauds. The secretary
figures that whereas the cost of en-
forcing the present law is very large.
due to the necessity of maintaining
large force of inspectors to prevent
frauds, the o-cent tax would be easily
administered because the manufacture
would be carried on openly and with
out any attempts at concealment or
evasion.
Senator Lorimer of Illinois is looked
upon as the man to lead the fight for
the lower tax. He has handled other
fights for the packing interests. not
ably their opposition to meat inspec-
ton and the pure food law, and he is
no mean manager of such legislative
enterprises. He has not thus far adj
mitted that he has expectation of
pressing the contest next winter, but 1t
lis generally understood that the pres
ent discussion of oleo based on Secre-
tary MacVeagh's suggestion, is only
preliminary feeler. to be followed by an
open and avowed effort for revision
of the excise.
There are two sides to this question
of cheaper olao, and the people who
favor the 2-cent tax are showing a dis
position to be more frank and cour-
ageous than ever before. They put up
an attractive argument. l1ey say:
That butter is getting so expensive
that vast and increasing number of
people demands and is entitled to a
cheaper substitute.
That oleomargarine. properly made
as 1t must be under the pure food and
meat inspection regulations, is pala-
table. wholesome, and barring GER
tain prejudice just as good, as but
ter.
That the privilege of making and
selling oleo at the reasonable price
which commercial conditions would
ultimately place upon it, would make
the carcass of the beef animal provide
more revenue, and therefore meat
could be given more cheaply to the
consumer of meat because of the larger
return from those parts which go to
the cleo watts.
That the injury to the dairy inter-
est would be insignificant if indeed
lit was felt at all. because the demand
for butter will always absorb the sup
ply. and tends rapidly under present
conditions to outgrow the supply.
| Wherefore it is urged that the users
of butter, the raisers of livestock and
the consumers of meats are all in
terested to have the change made.
| In the last year or two a quiet prop
uganda of opinion has been conducted
in favor of reducing the tax below the
prohibitive point. The Wholesale
Butchers National Association and the
Wholesale Grocers' National Associa-
ton have been lined up and induced
to adopt resolutions in it's favor, and