Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1910-01-29
TO REPEAL THE TAX ON oLEo.

In the interest, as alleged, of the
farmers, but really promoting the in
terests Of the cold storage people who
have monopolized the butter business
and control and regulate prices, a tax
Of ten cents a pound exists on oleo-
margarine and other restrictions are
brown about its manufacture and
sale that are almost of a prohiD-
tive nature. An effort is now to be
made to break down these restric-
tions, to permit oleomargarine to be
made and sold strictly on it's merits,
as it should be, and to give the peo-
pie of the country some relief from
high prices for butter by the compe-
tition of the oleo article.
There is no justice in a special tax
on oleomargarine, or the enactment Of
laws intended to prevent or seriously
hamper its manufacture. The only
just laws dealing with the article
would be those prescribing a proper
inspection of the plants and the ma
terials entering in the manufacture,
to insure cleanliness and the health
fulness of the animals from whose
fats the imitation butter is made, and
the stamping Of the article so that
it cannot be sold for anything than
what it really is. AS the law now
stands it is not permissible to intro
duce any coloring matter, even though
it be harmless. If oleomargarine can
be colored without making it deleter-
ious to the health, why should it not
be allowed?
Good oleomargarine is probably bet
ter than lot of poor and high-priced
butter that is now forced upon the
people. The chemists of the govern
ment have declared it to be more
wholesome than poor or rancid butter,
while in richness Of flavor it is sur
passed only by the best of fresh but
ter. Therefore, the tax which has
been imposed on it merely for the
purpose of discouraging the manufac-
ture and sale of it, thereby putting
millions of dollars into the Golfers
of the Butter Trust, is regarded as
unjust and should be removed in or
der that this substitute for the pro
duct of the COW may be more generally
used by the poorer classes of the peo-
pie.
It is said that in 1902, when but
ter was selling from % to 80 cents
oleomargarine sold at 10 and IS cents
per pound, and more than 10000, 600
pounds of it were consumed in the
United States, but the tax of 10 cents
pound on the colored product re-
duced sales to 100000 in 1904, a re-
duction which it is said was the equi-
valent to more than a million tubs Of
butter.
with the rising prices of butter"
says the Charleston Post, "oleo
gradually came back into popularity,
until last year its sales amounted to
100000 pounds. Coloring is
used simply because we are accus-
toned to yellow butter, and the ten
cent tax, which has failed either. to
prevent the abuses charged by 49,
dairy people or to be a revenue pros
Queer, has crippled the oleomargarine
at former prices o. the yellow pro-
ducts at a price much increased
The opponents of oleomargariue
cannot claim that it is I'M
wholesome, for the government
chemists declare it is a pure, whole
some and healthful substitute for but
ter, and equally as dlgestible."
In view of the fact that eottonseed
oil, a product of the South, is used
largely in the manufacture of oleo-
margarine, the New Orleans States ex-
presses the belief that little difficulty
will be encountered in securing the
support of Southern congressman and
commercial bodies for a measure to
repeal the tax levied under
the pretense that it was tax
for revenue The pretense was ut
terly false, because at the time the
federal treasury was overlooking with
money and the receipts of the govern
ment each month were millions in ex-
cess of expenditures In these DAYS
when the price of butter is steadily
climbing and threatens to go as high
as so cents a pound the manufacture
and use Of oIeomargarine should be
encouraged.