Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-03-11
Prejudice
Against OIeo
a Hangover
Parole Record Of Sub
for Butter Excellent
BY wEsTBROOK PEGLER

BY wESTBROOK PEGLER
CHICAGO. March 11-This is
~ not going TO be contentious
but something on the learned
side about oleomargarine, so If
you have something else to do
you may be excused.
Although we are very hard up
for butter and will not be able
to meet the demand, we still
have on our books federal and
state laws against margarine
which some medical authorities
have endorsed as a good substi-
tute.
1t is made of both animal fat
and vegetable oils derived from
cottonseed, the soybean and
coconuts and, in some cases, OF
mixture OF both. In some
cases. too, it contains proper
ton of real butter.
There is a strong prejudice or
superstition against margarine,
a hangover from the sensational
pure food and drug crusade OF
40 years ago when pious deacons
and old ladies of faultless purity
would get cockeyed on patent
medicines TO cure the misery,
never suspecting that they were
rum pots. and mothers would
quiet their teething babies with
slugs of opium.
COME Of the oleo was misrep-
~ resented as real butter and
much Of il was sold as butterine
and, no doubt. in those expert
mental days il did contain some
fragments of hide. hoof and horn
and some OF il did turn rancid.
Taking advantage of this, the
dairy states lobbied through
federal legislation 10 restric
the sale of margarine and cast
suspicion on il for the benefit
OF the dairy industry.
! AlblObEil us bdiOt itIpi 100
been excellent since then. people.
nevertheless, remember that
margarine once was indicted BY
the grand jury. so 10 speak, and
got a suspended sentence.
The federal government re-
uuires a tax of one-fourth of n
cent a pound from the manu-
facturer and license tax of Sc
year from the retailer and
various states have tariffs run
ming from 5 to Is cents a pound.
THE retail price OF margarine
l. is about 25 cents pound,
while butter Is AZ cents. but the
margarine manufacturers, with
whom l have been comforting
and who. trust. would not take
advantage of my innocence.
claim that any tariff above s
cents a pound. whether IL is
collected at rate per pound or
by means of a high license fee.
makes the cost prohibitive for a
product which is, frankly, a SUBJ
Stitute for butter which natur-
ally is preferred as being the
I genuine article.
Butter was here first and has
a fine reputation and the substi-
7 tute has hard going.
\ Margarine is sold uncolored,
although most butter is artifi-
\ cially colored so as 10 present
the year around rich appearance
that is natural only in the spring.
and some butter is artificially
favored, too.
However. vegetable coloring
matter is sold with margarine 10
be mixed in by the consumer II
he wants 10. II appeals only TO
the eye, though. 1t makes M
difference in the quality or taste
and If butter were sold without
J, coloring il would not he percep-
I tibly gayer in appearance than
margarine. 10 months OF the
year.
/ DECENTLY. the same federal
~ government which stigma
tics margarine by the tax and
!, the retail license fee, has been
buying quantities of il. never
theleSS. for the fighting men
simply because there is not
enough butter 10 be had
The Thomas T.. Wilson Co,
packers. now can supply only
about % per cent of the busi-
ness rendered, so perhaps we
will be lucky 10 get even marge.
as the British call it, by the end
Of the year.
The John F. Jelke Co. whose
product is made solely OF vege-
table oil. has sold about % car
loads TO tho army in the last
few weeks. The government will
take, for all purposes, including
lend-leaSe, more than 100 mil
lion pounds this year.
Apparently. in such situations,
any interested party can buy
medical opinion 10 defend the
virtues of his own goods or dis
parage the other mans.
Thus. the dairyman probably
can cite learned verdicts that
margarine is axle grease and
unfit for man or beast, which
would be a harsh arraignment OF
the army in view of the pur-
chases for soldiers.
IN THE other hand. the mar