Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-04
FIGHT ON TO STOP IMPOSITION
ON suYERs OF OUTSIDE AND
INTERIOR PAINTS.
EXTENSIVE ApULrERArioN
THRuoUT UNITED STATES
Senator Kenyon introduces Bill in Con.
srsss Aimed to Protect consumsrs-
Iowa Dairy Department Active in
Furthsrins Bill - Fraudulent Com.
paniss Change Names Often.
pecial to Times-Republican.,

Special to Times Republican,.
Des Moines. Feb. 4.-The fight is or
for federal law to stop imposition or
buyers Of linseed oil on the part o.
paint companies and refiners and lob
bers. Senator w. s. Kenyon has JUS
introduced in congress the bill asked
for on behalf Of those who are prepar.
ing to fight for pure oil. There is go.
Ing to be systematic effort made or
behalf Of the consumers of oil to Sc.
cure backing all over the country 70,
this worthy measure The food ant
dairy department of Iowa which has
had wide experience in regard to adul.
teration Of linseed oil, is active in fur.
thering the bill. Other states also are
much interested.
The bill introduced by Senator Ken
yon, If passed. will prohibit the ship
ment OF adulterated 1inseed oil in in
terstate commerce. Thousands of prop
erty owners can testify to the poor
quality OF some Of the linseed oil which
has been offered the public during the
past ten years, and nearly every per-
son has either had experience with the
kind Of oil mentioned or will call to
mind instances where paint has failed
to dry properly or has otherwise been
unsatisfactory by reason of the oil be-
ing adulterated with petroleum.
No Good Substitute.
1t is common knowledge that linseed
oil has long been used as the main
liquid vehicle in the manufacture of
paint for exterior and interior use and
up to the present time no suitable
substitute for linseed oil has been dis
covered. The acreage of flax is al
ways limited and the constant demand
for the oil therefrom always insures
a ready market at a price which makes
the growing of fax quite profitable.
The variation in yield per acre from
year to year Is quite marked and the
law of supply and demand is more Of a
factor in determining the price per
bushel for flax seed or the price per gall
Ion for oil than is any manipulation
OF the market altho this may operate
to some extent to regulate the price.
The constant demand for linseed oil
and the high price that is usually OBJ
tained has operated to induce unscru-
pulous persons to adulterate linseed oil
with various substances none Of which
are suitable as vehicle for paint and
which substances without exception
lower the quality Of the oil and in some
instances practically ruin 1t for use in
paint or for any other purpose. Chief
among the adulterants used is petro-
leum, while rosin Oil and other ma
terials have been used to some ex-
tent.
Substitutes Cheap.
Linseed Oil sells from so cents to
$1.10 per gallon, according to the visible
supply. while petroleum products used
In adulterating linseed may be obtained
at a price from 10 to IL cents per gal
lon. Petroleum products are added in
any quantity from Is to 60 per cent
and the fraud resulting from such adul-
teration amounts to not less than $14
per barrel on the average.
Something like ten years ago, sam
pies of adulterated linseed oil were dis
covered on the market and at that time
shipments were being made from
Cleveland, O., and perhaps other east
ern points. At later period, this oil
was shipped in large quantities from
SLlCdSO, Ill, duu oHlSiIld, NeD, Dy va
rious concerns which seemed to have
the same management or, at least, were
affiliated with one another and
number of the firms operating out of
Omaha are known to have the same
street address and same telephone
Their plan seems to have
been to sell their product until their
name became so well known to the re-
tail merchants that it was difficult to
get business and then to adopt another
name until such time as 1t was found
necessary to change in order to contin-
ue their operations. AS result of
this practice, many firms are listed as
having been wholesalers Of adulter-
ated oil when, if the facts We're avail
able, we believe. it could be shown that
the fake oil business has been carried
On under the direction Of one head.
Frauds Called Forth Laws.
The damage resulting from the sale
Of adulterated linseed oil was so wide
spread that number of states enacted
stringent laws regulating this product
and states that now have such laws
ire Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky.
Michigan. Nebraska, New