The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-01-30
OIeomaraarIne

A strong effort is afoot in Congress
to repeal the internal revenue tax of
ten cents a pound on oleomargarine
coored to look like butter 1t has
the support of the cottonseed oil
and the animal fat interests of the
South and West; OF the packing in
terests engaged in the manufacture
Of the commodity and is strongly
backed by the voice of the big cities
which seek some relief from the high
cost OF living and TO whom fifty-cent
butter doesn't look quite so good as
it does to the producing dairymen
The plea is made that the revenue
tax is almost prohibitive, crowding
oleo out of the market and giving
butter a monopoly
This whole subject can be looked
upon with less prejudice than former
ly, when the facts were not so well
known. For example, we now ac-
knowledge that oleomargarine is a
healthfu food product, palatable and
nourishing. II has place too in
domestic economy. If people want
it and prefer ii to genuine butter at
the difference in prices, they ought
to have it, Merely the selfish inter
ests OF the butter makers do not re.
quire that the federal government
should come to their aid by taxing
the other competing product. This
is not a proper province OF govern.
ment
On the other hand, It is proper
| that government should safeguard
| the interests of honest producers OF
one product from the dishonest com
petition of another and especially
the public at large from deceit and
imposition. II oleomargarine is will
/ ing to stand as such and be known
/ as such in the market, it should be
untaXed. But when it undertakes
to masquerade as butter it is impos.
ing on buyers and is riding into
their favor on the back OF a compel
itor that has earned its place by
centuries OF endoavor.
How TO determine oleo from but
ter and then do It is the real nub OF
the matter. Uncolored oleo could be
easily detected by sight, and detec.
ton Is not what cleo wants. So il
colors like June butter and probably
most OF IL is bought and even eaten
for butter We see no injustice in
retaining the tax on oleo colored in
imitation Of butter, though it would
be more consistent on the part OF the
government to prohibit altogether
such coloring or Offering for sale
such colored product
On the other hand, uncolored oleo
is not taxed, and in time people will
discover It's merits as a food product
and there will be a genuine demand
D for IL. This is now taking place 10
an extent that has increased oleO
J production very greatly in recent
years. It will not have to counter
J felt butter in order to find a ready
market. With the increased cost OF
! butter production. from which there
seems no likelihood OF escape. a
! cheaper substitute will come in. To
e this the butter interests cannot and
, will not object, il the competing pro
! duct is sold and eaten for what ii
! really is AS TO the coloring OF oleC
like butter, that is the very process
! by which II receives its counterfeit
? stamp. and hence should be prevent
ed, or az least discouraged There
= Is no other effective way of stoppinl
the decci, bound TO be practlced.
We are aware that most butter Is
also colored. and that the oleo inter
; ests urge this as a plea in their owl
behalf, but IL is too speciOus for ser
ious attention. June butter is the
? standard color and the adding OF
harmless extracts to genuine butter
b products at other seasons of the yeai
to make them conform to the accep
ted standard is a very different mat
ter than coloring n dssimilar prod
uct to resemble n genuine one Yer
5 mont dairymen will do we'll TO make
. themselves heard at Washington on
this matter and to prepare for
hard fight. Randolph Herald
, and News