No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUFIE. 91 



MORE STRINGENT RULES FOR OLEOMARGARINE LICENSES. 



The abuse of both Federal and State oleomargarine licenses has prompted the 

 authorities of Pennsylvania to adopt severe regulations relative to the granting 

 of such license certificates. 



Careful investigations made by attaches of this Bureau proved that licenses 

 in many cases were granted to applicants who had no fixed place of business, 

 who were not engaged in any other business than that of peddling produce, 

 including the illegal trafficking in oleomargarine, whether colored or uncolored. 

 These parties resided in private dwellings, which often were difficult to 

 locate. In other instances, these investigations brought to light the fact that 

 stables or other out-of-the-way structures had been indicated in the license 

 applications as their places of business for selling oleomargarine; this applies 

 to Philadelphia. 



The Commissioner is therefore strongly of the opinion that some additional 

 infoimation must hereafter accompany applications for both oleomargarine and 

 renovated butter license certificates, in order that their issue to legitimate 

 applicants may be duly safeguarded. 



The oleomargarine act of 1S91 confers discretionary powers upon the Commis- 

 sioner, and these will hereafter be more fully exercised than ever before in 

 considering applications for licenses. Where it is not evident that an appli- 

 cant has a legitimate place of business and is acting in good faith, it lies 

 within the powers of the Commissioner to refuse the application. 



CO-OPERATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE AUTHORITIES. 



Through personal interviews with the revenue authorities at Washington, and 

 considerable correspondence, a system of co-operation in ferreting out illegal 

 dealers in oleomargarine in Pennsylvania has been established. These plans 

 have already borne excellent results in the Philadelphia district. The detection 

 and arrest of a number of dealers in colored oleomargarine, as well as the 

 prosecution of unlicensed peddlers of oleomargarine, was accomplished by this 

 co-operation, and there was no difficulty in presenting joint evidence to both 

 the United States and local courts to secure the conviction and punishment of 

 the defendants. These several courts not only imposed heavy fines, but added 

 jail sentences. The effect has been salutary and far-reaching and there is a 

 corresponding decrease in the number of violations. 



NEED OF ADDITIONAL NATIONAL OLEOMARGARINE LEGISLATION. 



At the instance of the Pennsylvania Pure Butter Protective Association, a 

 bill will be formulated and introduced into Congress that will make the Fed- 

 eral oleomargarine statutes as strong and effective as the laws of Pennsyl- 

 vania. The proposed measure, among other changes in the present National 

 oleomargarine laws, will prohibit the admixture of any butter in the manu- 

 facture of oleomargarine. The tentative permission to use butter, whether 

 colored or uncolored, in oleomargarine, is to be annulled because it makes it 

 more difficult of detection. The laws are also to be changed so as to require 

 a system of serial numbers that will enable those interested to trace the man- 

 ufacturer and every dealer who may have handled the same. The National 

 law W'ould also be changed so as to make it necessary to prove that the 

 yellow color of oleomargarine is due to a foreign substance introduced for the 

 purpose of giving color. 



The proposed changes would make it conform in a large degree with the 

 Pennsylvania law and afford additional protection to pure butter which is not 

 at present given by the National law on the color question. 



The pure butter advocates also enter a protest against settling and compro- 

 mising oleomargarine cases, now the frequent practice of the revenue officials. 

 They will also insist that the statute shall be more strict regarding the proper 

 display of stamps, marks and brands on packages containing oleomargarine 

 and renovated butter, in order that the public can readily see the same, and 

 thus identify the contents of packages. The Pennsylvania Pure Butter Pro- 

 tective Association has a large and influential membership, and these will 

 unite in a strong and united effort to secure the desired changes in the Na- 

 tional laws. 



FOSTERING DAIRY INTERESTS IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



Letters are constantly reaching this office, demanding statistical information 

 relating to dairying in Pennsylvania, also with requests for complete lists of 

 the creameries and cheese factories doing business in this State. While it is 

 true that the latter requests come mainly from parties who desire to use them 

 solely for commercial or advertising purposes, this is no valid reason why 

 such a compilation of information sliould not be made and pulilished. In many 

 instances mutual benefits would be derived. The available information is 

 either obsolete or unreliable, and the Legislature could readily make a small 

 appropriation to enable the collection of such infofrmation to the advantage 



