Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23
DeIuged With Complaints of
High Cost of Living.
NATIONAL INQUIRY, MAYBE
Representative Burleson Says There
is Gigantic Butter Trust.
WOULD TAKE TAX OFF OLEO
Tells House Committee of Burden
Put on Poor Man, He
Contends.

There doesn't seem a shadow of q
doubt but that the Congress OF the
United States must take a part-through
one or the other or both branches-in
the movement tG PUT on a lower level the
prices to the public of the food necessi-
ties of life
From all over the country letters and
kilograms were pouring in on members,
demanding that something be done nv
the federal government to ascertain. Of
fcially, the real reason for the high and
increasing cost of living and to remedy
the condition, or conditions, whatever
they may be-
The republicans Of the house do not
seem particularly averse to a national
inquiry. The democrats are doing all
they can to bring one about The spe-
cial committee of seven of the House
District committee will begin its inquiry
into local conditions on Monday.
Butter Trust, Says Burleson.
An interesting feature in connection
with the campaign for lower prices de-
Veioped in the House of Representatives
yesterday when Representative Burle-
son of Texas appeared before the com
mittee on agriculture to request hear
ing on his bill to abolish the present
tax on oleomargerine. Mr.. Burleson
believes this tax Of 10 cents a pound on
colored oleo has done more than any
thing else to bring about the Great ton of
a gigantic, merciless butter trust which,
in turn, has resulted in elevating the
price Of butter to the level of the present
day. He hints that an immense lobby
ing fund put the oleo tax bill through
He made a statement before the commit
tee today in this connection.
"Tn 1901. said Mr.. Burieson. there
was manufactured in this country 13O,-
some, clean, chemically pure food prod
duct, the constituent parts of which are
fat from beef, cottonseed oil and pure
creamery butter. This product paid a
uniform tax, on colored and uncolored.
of cents a pound, which, in addition to
certain license taxes, provided the gov
ernment with about $3,OO0,OO0 in revenue
annually.
Raise in Oleo.
"Oleomargarine entered into active com
petition with butter. it must not be for
gotten, being used extensively by the la
boring people throughout the country as
well as the people generally of the south
and west. The price of oleomargarine
at that time was from II to is cents
pound and butter sold from 20 to 80
cents a pound
THE National Dairy Union being
anxious to absolutely destroy all COM
petition, inaugurated a propaganda on
behalf of restrictive legislation against
the manufacture and sale of oleomarga-
rine. 1t is said that a vast sum of money
was spent in support of stupendous
lobby, which finally prevailed upon the
Congress to enact the present oleomarga-
rine law, which levieS an unjust, burden
some and oppressive tax on oleomarga-
rine, the result of which has been to
diminish the production thereof within
few years by 66 2-3 per cent.
Zone of the resulting effects of this
legislation was the injury which came to
the producers of cotton seed and beef
cattle. The people engaged in the pro-
duction of cotton and beef have always
felt that this was vicious species OF
class legislation, having no justification
in good morals, and indulged the pre-
diction, at the time the bill was passed.
that it would result i'll merciess but
ter trust, which would demand an ex-
tortionate price for butter.
Hearing Is Asked For
.'Butter is now selling for from 30
to 60 cents a pound. Two years ago
introduced a bill to repeal the present
law and relieve this legitimate industry
of the unjust burdens which had been
placed upon it.
Speaking for the Interstate Cotton
Seed Crushers' Association, the cattle
raisers associations of number of west
ern states. the National Association of
Retail GrocerS, and numerous cotton pro-
ducers' associations and unions, cham
1,a-. of nd hno or1S OF fr>rl do In,
the west and south, which, by resolutions,
ha Se protested agains this legislation and
urged its repeal. l ask that this committee
fix day for hearing, with the view
that both advocates and opponents OF
the measure / have introduced for the
repeal of the oleomargarine law may be-
heard.
Il also direct attention to the fact that
members of labor organizations in Pitts
burg. Milwaukee and elsewhere have
adopted a resolution fayoring the repeal
Of this law. The members of such or
ganizations feel that, in large part. they
have been compelled to bear the burden
Of its continued operation"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Burleson's ap-
peal the committee took the matter under
advisement. No decision was reached at
the time Early this week, Ii is under
stood, Chairman Scott will call the full
committee together for the purpose or
fixing a date agreeable to the conflicting
interests concerned.
Unjust, Says Republican.
Despite the fact of its passage by Con-
gress. the oleomargarine tax is not a
popular subject at the Capitol.
There never was a more unjust, unrea-
sonable, discriminatory piece of legisia-
ton ever put through Congress than the
law putting this extraordinarily heavy tax
on oleomargarine, said a prominent re-
publican member of the House yesterday.
Moreover, although l should not care
to have my name used in this connection
just now, 1 have no hesitation in saying
that the present high price of butter, in
my opinion, is due almost entirely to the
practical monopoly which the great but
ter trust has been able to create by the
elimination of colored oleomargarine as
competing factor.
Il do not mean to say that, in my
Judgment, dealers should be permitted to
sell cOlored oleo for butter. That is be-
side the subject and would not relieve the
situation.
but do say that the tax on colored
oleomargarine should be reduced from 10
cents to cents, or even less. pound,
and that heavy penalties-the heaviest
penalties, indeed-should be imposed by
law upon dealers who sell 1t for butter.
1T is a wholesome product and per-
sons who wish to buy it because OF its
lower price should be permitted to do so.
Those who wish to pay more, and buy
butter, should be able to do so with the