Commissioner of Agriculture. 57 



My own idea is that the government should legislate against its 

 m.amifacture absolutely, on the ground that it is a fraudulent pro- 

 duct detrimental to health and calculated to seriously injure the 

 large agricultural population interested in the manufacture of the 

 genuine article. My predecessor in this office held the same view 

 as to the sale of oleomargarine. He believed that the government 

 should absolutely legislate against its production, and I am in- 

 clined to believe, after three years' experience in this office, that 

 his views were well considered and justifiable, but it is quite evi- 

 dent from the course of events that we can not hope for any legis- 

 lation to be adopted by Congress that will absolutely prohibit this 

 product. I am therefore favorably inclined to the passage of the 

 bill now before Congress regulating its production and sale and 

 placing a tax upon it as an article of commerce. At this writing 

 what is knowm as the substitute bill, for the original act upon the 

 subject, introduced in the present session by Mr, Wilber, a repre- 

 sentative from this State, has been favorably reported and has 

 passed the House of Representatives; I understand that there is 

 a reasonable prospect of the early passage of this bill by the Sen- 

 ate. I believe the idea which it seeks to carry out is a go'od 'one, 

 and that if the traffic in filled cheese can not be absolutely sup- 

 pressed it is undoubtedly the best thing that we can get, as under 

 the provisions of this law the article will be so branded and 

 marked that purchasers will know what they are buying and 

 will not, as heretofore, be imposed upon in buying filled cheese 

 when they believe they are buying the genuine article. In this 

 way, in my opinion, the sales will be very radically diminished. 



The bill as passed by the House of Representatives is as follows: 



AN ACT 



Defining cheese, and also imposing a tax upon and regulating the 

 manufacture, sale, importation, and exportation of " filled 

 cheese." 



Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives of the 

 United States of America in Congress assembled. 



Section 1. That for the purposes of this act, the word " cheese " 

 shall be understoo'd to mean the food product known as cheese, 



