48 ANNUAL. REPORT, OF THE Off. Doc. 



old law imposed a tax of two cents a pound on oleomargarine, 

 whether colored or nncolored. The new law went into effect in 1902, 

 and the ligiiros stated form their own commentary. The retention 

 of the Grout Bill upon our national statute books is a matter of 

 ver3^ great importance to the farmers of Pennsylvania, and the above 

 figures show that our senior United States Senator, Hon. Boies 

 Penrose, was building wisely in the interests of the people he repre- 

 sented w^hen against the most formidable opposition, he took his firm 

 stand in favor of the passage of the measure. 



NATURE OF COLORING IN OLEO HARD TO DETECT. 



The oleomargarine manufacturers and dealers are said to be 

 blessed with an abundant supply of ingenuity in the matter of color- 

 ing their product so as to leave it resemble the color of genuine but- 

 ter without conflicting with the national or State laws. The constitu- 

 tionality of such laws, their real intent and meaning, are problems 

 which have received careful consideration at the hands of various 

 courts, with the result that there is no longer any doubt as to their 

 proper interpretation or meaning. The Superior Court of this Com- 

 monwealth has several cases on its calendar in which the color 

 clause of the Pennsylvania Act of Assembly is involved. If the color 

 clause of the oleomargarine law were to be declared unconstitu- 

 tional, the financial interests of the dairymen of Pennsylvania would 

 be affected in a very serious manner. The subject is of vital pecu- 

 niary interest, and the oleomargarine combine will doubtless not 

 fail to take advantage of any opportunity that might enable it to 

 influence Congress or the State Legislature to repeal or amend the 

 several oleomargarine laws to suit its interests. 



So far as Pennsylvania is concerned, the fact that a State Legis- 

 lature may pass prohibitory laws has already been confirmed by the 

 enactment and enforcement of the oleomargarine law which abso- 

 lutely prohibits the sale of colored oleomargarine, whether the color- 

 ing be produced from coal tar products, or by the addition of other 

 ingredients that might be incorporated into the article during its 

 manufacture or otherwise. It is safe to predict that the old cus- 

 tom of adulteration, such as embalming, substituting glucose for 

 cane sugar, or using inferior or decaying fruit and vegetables, and 

 then using a liberal quantity of coal tar dyes to make the goods 

 appear of good quality, will soon meet with still greater disfavor on 

 the part of the public. 



INCREASED SALE OF RENOVATED BUTTER. 



Attention is invited to the fact that during the past year there 

 has been an appreciable increase in the number of licensed dealers 

 in renovated butter, the number of licenses for 1904 exceeding that 

 of all former years combined. This was due to several causes. When 

 creamery butter is high in price, such as was the case during 1904, 

 there is an increased demand for this product. Tlie vigorous enforce- 

 ment of the Act regulating the manufacture and sale of renovated 

 butter in Pennsylvania is also responsible for the increased activity 

 in the renovated butter markets. It is a matter worthy of note that, 

 as in the case of oleomargarine, at least two-thirds of the renovated 

 butter manufactured and sold throughout the United States is the 



