Evening star., 1949-03-09
Curb Is Voted
On Yellow 0|eo
ByHouseGroup
Plan Bars Sole in
D. c., Virginia and
16 Other Stutes
BY ChoImers M. Roberts

tee today voted to ban the inter-
state shipment of yellow oleo-
margarine but to permit it's sale
In those States and Territories
where there is a plant to make it
and no local law prohibiting the
yellow variety.
In effect, the bill would take
precolored yellow margarine off
grocery store shelves in the Dis
trict and Virginia because there
are no margarine plants in either
Washington or Virginia. But
Maryland housewives. including
those just across the District line,
could continue to buy yellow oleo
because there is plant in Balti-
more now manufacturing it.
The vote was "a to 3 on the
surprise proposal offered by Rep
resentative Granger, Democrat, of
Utah. The proposal came after
the defeat by a 14-to-13 vote of
straight tax repeal measure by
Representative Poage, Democrat,
of Texas.
II States and d. C. Affected.
The Granger bill would eliminate
the present one-fourth cent per
pound tax on white margarine
and the 10 cents per pound tax
on the pre-colored variety in the
current license fees levied on
manufacturers. wholesalers and
retailers.
Since there are at present plants
manufacturing margarine in only
13 Of the 80 States where sale of
the yellow variety is legal under
State law, the effect of the pro-
posal would be to take yellow
margarine off the grocery shelves
in II States as we'll as the Dis
trict. Included in the 80 is Mich
tgan, where a ban on the yellow
type has been repealed but not
yet taken effect.
Mr.. Poage, at the close of the
nearly two-hour executive session
Of the committee today, told re-
porters he will offer his straight
tax repeal measure as a substitute
when the bill reaches the House
floor. Asked If he expects the
House to accept his substitute, Mr..
Poage declared: 50
why. certainly I do.''
Andersen Disagrees.
But Representative Andersen,
Republican, M Wisconsin, who has
led the dairy-butter forces in their
efforts to ban yellow oleo, said he
would not agree with the predic-
ton.
The Granger measure achieves
its purpose by forbidding the in
terstate movement of yellow mar
garine and then adding a provi-
sion that within the borders of a
State or Territory, which Mr.. An
dresen interpreted to include the
District, local law should prevail.
At present, 18 States have vary
ing restrictions on yellow mar
garine, although in some States
movements are underway to repeal
the restriction.
Nothing in the bill approved
today would affect the right of
housewives to mix in the color
themselves in their own homes.
Figures on Pre- Colored.
Latest figures show sales of the
colored type of margarine have
been growing rapidly. For all Of
1948, almost exactly 10 per cent
of the 886, 100000 pounds sold in
the Nation were pre-colored. But
for the last three months of the
year the proportion was up to
over IL per cent. Included in
these figures are States where only
white margarine is legal today.
There are no figures to show
Just how much of the oleo sold
in the District is pre-colored but
a spokesman for one large chain
doing business here estimated his
firm now sells from 35 to 40 per
cent of all it's margarine in the
colored form.
AS of last June 80 only 81 re-
tailers in the District had licenses
to sell the colored type. But the
number has since increased rapidly
and is estimated today to be at
least 100. For Maryland and the
District (the figures are generally
Jumped together) there were 1873
such licenses in January. 1949.
The only oleo manufacturer in
this part of the country is the
Filbert concern in Baltimore. A
spokesman there told The Star
that about Is per cent of the oleo
the firm now sells in Washington
is -colored.
Truman Takes II Easy