Evening star., 1948-03-19
The Margarine Battle
Hearings Brought New Clash of Dairy and Soy
Interests While Public Held Oleo Bag

Of housewives over the nuisance Of the mixing
bowl to add color to margarine3 Oh, no.
The rapid growth Of the soybean industry
was the new factor. When fats and oils be-
came short during the war, vast acreages OF
soybeans were planted across the United
States. Many . dairy farmer turned some Of
his fields to soybeans. Illinois became the
Nations leading soybean State. soybean oil
poured into the margarine mixing vats-chiefiy
In place Of coconut oil which has been cotton
seed otis prewar companion Ingredient In the
spread. Coconut oil comes chiefly from the
Philippines and the Japs ended the fiow Of
imports late in 1941
Out in Iowa-which today is the No. !
butter State-is the headquarters Of the Amer
ican Soybean Association. This association,
for the first time, sent its representatives to
Washington last week to urge repeal Of the
Federal margarine taxes. Their reason? The
taxes are unfair to the soybean growers Of
America-who would have greatly expanded
markets If more soybean oil can now into
margarine vats.
Soybeans Versus Cows.
AL through the arguments last week, the
dairy hackers sought to explain that soybeans
are = dangerous crop-they lead to soil erosion
and will do the farmer more harm than good
In the words Of the leading dairy lobbyist,
Charles w. Holman, secretary Of the National
Cooperative Milk Producers Federation:
1.-THE American soybean was q war baby
artif1cially developed by high prices and Gov
ernment subsidies ="
Its future. Mr.. Holman said, depends on
"the reluctance of the Middle Western corn
hog farmer to continue producing crop which
he knows to be soil depicting unless 1t should
be highly profitable" and "the competition in
the relatively near future of flood Of cheaper
priced oils from foreign lands"
Mr.. Holman is paid, according to his state
ment filed under the lobbyist registration law,
$165o0 = year. He got . raise this year OF
$4,000 His associations annual dinner for
members Of Congress recently drew about 200
members. It cost $4.95 head, without drinks.
The American Soybean Association is not
registered with Congress, q check shows
The National Association Of Margarine
Manufacturers pays It's president Paul Truitt,
a salary Of $4,000 according to his registra-
ton certificate as a lobbyist.
Mr.. Holmans mention Of cheaper priced
oils from foreign lands refers to coconut oil
from the Philippines He said the influx Of
such oils Is inevitable" and he added:
Domestic producers Of cottonseed and soy
bean oil, who have joined with the oleomar-
garine interests to urge repeal Of these laws,
might do well to consider the testimony Of
the oleomargarine industry in prior hearings.
1T was admitted frankly that imported oils
would be used in the manufacture Of oleomar-
garine to the exclusion Of domestic oils when
ever the prices Of the foreign ingredients were
lower than the prices for the domestic oils.
THAT will mean that both cottonseed Oh
and soybsan oil will have to tight It out on q
sharper competitive basis not only with the
foreign oils, but with each other"
This effort to split the cotton and soybean
groups appears, thus far, not to have sue
ceeded. 1t has produced however, q united
front Of cotton, soybean and dairy interests
against imported oils
(Thts IS the first OF t,oo articles on the
butter margarine fght)