Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-06-06
IT has become impossible to cheat

TT has become impossible to cheat
the government with a label. You
can't color oleomargarine and get
away with it-without taxation; you
can't sell bad whisky for the price of
that bottled in bond; you can't sell CO.
caine or heroin under a patent medi-
cine label. In fact, all those ingen-
ious little devices for exploiting the
public and evading government tax
alton have become hopelessly difficult
under the analytical espionage of the
National Narcotics Laboratory.
This government laboratory is To-
Gated in secluded corner of the
treasury building, where the odors of
morphine, opium ana brandy will not
excite the curiosity of sightseers. Here
the governments scientific detectives
under DIR. A. B. Adams, are at work
on various products shipped in by fed
eral inspectors from all parts of the
country. Sometimes the articles on
view are of romantic nature, such
as the Chinese opium pipe which deco
rates the mantel of the laboratory Of
nee and the copper plate moonshine
stills in either corner of the room, but
for the most part they consist of sam
Piles of butter, oleomargarine, myster-
ious gelatine tablets containing color
ing matter, various samples of distill-
ed spirits and curious beverages bear
ing the labels of patent medicines.
on receiving a sample of butter or
oleomargarine marked Suspicious" by
the federal inspector, the laboratory
chemist puts it through certain tests
to discover IL it contains artificial col
oring matter. Oleomargarine is a
good healthy product, which q great
many persons eat on the average OF
three times day in cafes and restau-
rants The coloring matter is not in
furious, and the government is not
concerned with the practice so long as
the specified tax is paid. The trouble
arises from the fact rnat colored oleo.
margarine bears a tax of 10 cents a
pound, while the uncolored product
is taxed only one-fourth of a cent a
pound; and the manufacturers dislike
paying the difference.
So elaborate were the methods OF
one middle western factory in avoid.
ing payment of the tax on coIorins
matter that it took the government de.
ltectlVes several years TO track the case
down. 1t seems that one of the most
successful ingredients employed in
coloring oleomargarine is palm oil
which is difficult to detect by chemical
analysis. This oil is derived from q
truit that grows wild on the western
coast of Africa, somewhat resembling
the olive, in that 1t is a fieshy fruit
with large central pit. The flesh
contains 30 per cent fat, and in its
natural state is very red. Half of one
per cent of that red will color oleo-
margarine so skillfuIly that it requires
the most expert eye to detect it.
The laboratory discovered the pres.
ence of palm oil in this factory's prod.
uct, but the factory denied it. Wher
the government tried to prove the fact
by tracing shipments of the oil to the
concern, it was unable to do il. The
case was curious. Here was the fac.
tory using palm oil in every pound OF
oleomargarine it turned out, and yet
as far as could be ascertained If haG
never received any shipments of the
OIL Then, after some time haC
elapsed. the detectives uncovered the