508 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



laws, but in every State the enforcement of these laws is difficult 

 by virtue of their lack of uiiiforniity among the States on account of 

 their failure to apply to origmal packages in interstate trade and on 

 account of court delays. Only a federal statute can cover the ground 

 fairly, and one is sorely needed. 



Perhaps you do not realize the conditions that the eastern farmer 

 is working under. There was a time not so long ago, when the 

 beef, mutton and pork used in the cities of the east were produced on 

 eastern farms. Farm lasid v.as worth from §75.00 to $200 per acre. 

 Then came a time when the Government, with the cordial approval 

 of these eastern farmers, gave to settlers in the v»est, virgin, fer- 

 tile farms, or sold such farms for nominal prices. Great railroad 

 systems built lines into these new regions and carried their products 

 to the east at rates proportionate!}' lower than were charged the 

 eastern farmer. It became impossible for the eastern farmer to com- 

 plete successfully in the meat and graio markets with the western 

 farmer, encouraged in effect by governmental and corporate subsidy, 

 and so the business of meat and grain production has been relin- 

 quished to the west. In the free use of public lauds, the beef-cat- 

 tle and the sheep industries are still receiving enormous govern- 

 mental subsidies in comparison with which the subsidy asked for 

 ocean steam ships is a mere bagatelle. This is the sort of compe- 

 tition that confronts the eastern farmer. Competition as strong 

 as ever confronted and crushed out an iudustrj-, competition keener 

 than had to be met by the rivals of the Standard Oil Company. 



But agriculture in the east is not crushed; far from it, and largely 

 because it is sustained by dairying. It is true that farm lands have 

 lost more than fifty per ccsit. of their value and that good 100 acre 

 and 200 acre farms may be bought for the cost of their fences and 

 buildings, and that there is a, constant migration from farms to 

 towns; but there are still as many and as good farms and farmers in 

 Pennsylvania as ever, and all are making a living and are educating 

 their children. That the present measure of success if possible is 

 due more to dairying than to an}' other thing. 



Now what is it proposed that you shall do? That you shall ad- 

 vocate the defeat of the Grout bill and, practically, that you shall en- 

 courage the sale of colored oleomargarine as a fraudulent substitute 

 for butter. 



Colored oleomargarine is sold in dishonest competition with but- 

 ter. It is cheap and can be sold as butter for a much lower price 

 than butter. Suppose it causes a fall of but five cents per pound 

 in the price of butter; this means a loss of .fl2..j0 on the value of the 

 product of a cow producing 2.j() pounds of butter a year. It means 

 a loss of 1125 on ten such cows, and a loss of |500 on forty cows of 

 this class. You all know that this difference is oftentimes more 

 rliau the dilVeicnce between success and failure. 



