FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART IV. 283 



and went into efifect in 1898, and now there is scarcely a filled cheese factory 

 in the country where there were dozens before. It simply saved the cheese 

 business from absolute demoralization. 



The first work of consequence after that that the National Dairy Union 

 attempted was the anti-color laws in the State of Illinois. For sixteen years 

 the dairymen of the State of Illinois had attempted to have a law passed 

 smilar to the laws of other states prohibiting the coloring of oleomargarine 

 to resemble butter. They had never succeeded for the reason that all the 

 committees in the legislature were packed against them by stock yards in- 

 terests of the city Chicago. The National Dairy Union took it up and, 

 while we did not get to work until the legislature had been in session over 

 two months, we secured the passage of that law the first year. 



At the next session of the legislature the National Dairy Union went 

 before the legislature of Illinois and asked for the creation of a food com- 

 mission and food commissioner. It is a strange thing to think that one of 

 the leading dairy states of this country, a State OHly third or fourth in 

 population, had no food or dairy commissioner until the dairymen asked to 

 have the bill passed. We drew the law and at the request of the food peo- 

 ple of the State and those interested in-food laws, who had been endeavor- 

 ing for years to get food legislation, included in our law as a rider the food 

 legislation they have today. 



Then the next work of the National Dairy Union came in 1898, when we 

 started the fight for the ten cent tax on colored oleomargarine, which was 

 carried on for four years before we finally won. 



I have laid before the meeting, or at least a large proportion of those who 

 came in early, a copy of Chicago Dairy Produce of last week, on page seven, 

 of which is printed one of the campaign documents which are being circu- 

 lated by the oleomargarine interest in order to create sentiment for the 

 repeal of the National law taxing colored oleomargarine ten cents per pound. 

 The oleomargarine people, after a number of years of work, have learned 

 there is no such thing as securing legislation except through public sentiment 

 being back of them. They can forestal, and have for years from such legis- 

 lation through robbery and trickery of all kinds, but when it comes to 

 restrict legislation or repeal the new law, they find it necessary to get public 

 sentiment. We knew that a number of years ago, but they have just found 

 it out. They have commenced a series of agitations in dififerent parts of the 

 country, in order to rouse the people up against this ten cent tax. 



I will simply read you a few of the statements contained in a circular sent 

 out from Jersey City, N. J., by one of the leading oleomargarine dealers in 

 the State, Ammon & Person. 



FIFTY THOUSAND NEW YORK CHILDREN GO BREAKFASTLKSS TO SCHOOL. 



Fifty thousand children go to school breakfastless, which means idle fathers. So 

 overwhelmed is the department of charities with tens of thousands of applications from 

 men out of work that it finds itself unable to cope with the situation. In short, the me- 

 tropolis this winter is facing a problem with regard to unemployed men such as never has 

 been known in past years.— From a letter sent to Immigration Commissioner Sargent by 

 a New York philanthropist, January 11, 1905. 



