DAIRY AND SEED IMPROVEMENT MEETINGS. I99 



In the year 1900 there were 107,045,028 pounds of oleomar- 

 garine manufactured, and the amount of butter manufactured 

 was 1,491,752,602 pounds; i. e., one pound of oleomargarine to 

 approximately 14 pounds of butter. In the year 191 o there 

 were 141,862,280 pounds of oleomargarine manufactured, and 

 the amount of butter manufactured was 1,619,415,263 pounds; 

 i. e., one pound of oleomargarine to approximately eleven one- 

 half pounds of butter. 



Subsequent to the passage of this Act, certain manufacturers, 

 through their skillful and much to be admired application of 

 ability, succeeded in discovering some method whereby, in the 

 selection of their materials, or otherwise, they produced an 

 oleomargarine that was an imitation even in color of a light 

 shade of yellow butter, but it could not be shown, or at least 

 has not at the present time been shown, to contain any artificial 

 coloration. 



Again, the consuming public was confronted with a product 

 in imitation or semblance oi butter which contained no artificial 

 coloration, so far as could be determined chemically and which 

 could, therefore, be manufactured under the one-fourth of one 

 cent tax. The manufacturers had thus gained one and three- 

 fourth cents advantage per pound under the new law, as com- 

 pared with the law of 1886. 



If one were seeking for an example of application of shrewd- 

 ness to business, he need look no further than this result for 

 his example. The condition that now confronted the Ameri- 

 can public was practically as bad as the condition prior to the 

 passage of the Act of 1886. 



The sentiment for remedial legislation again assumed force, 

 and those interested took counsel as to the best method of 

 handling this question. There were those who still thought, 

 as in 1902, that the substance should either be prohibited or 

 taxed out of existence. There were still others who believed 

 that the matter could be handled so as to eliminate fraud and 

 still allow the commodity to be sold and served to the public 

 under its own guise and its own name, in such way as not to 

 permit of this fraud. 



To this end national organizations sprang into existence ; 

 several state organizations, subordinate thereto, came into ex- 



