OLEOMARGARINE. 37 



Mr. GARDNER. To see what ingredients go into oleomargarine. The 

 manufacturer is required to make a monthly statement, under oath, of 

 every pound of ingredient he uses in the manufacture. It is the duty 

 of the inspector or the deputy inspector, as I understand it, to verify 

 that report and under oath to say that the manufacturer's statement 

 is correct or incorrect. 



Mr. HOARD. Do you believe that the manufacturer always states 

 the truth concerning the ingredients of oleomargarine? 



Mr. GARDNER. Yes, sir; the manufacturers of which I know any- 

 thing. That is my belief; it is not worth much one way or the other. 



Mr. HOARD. The department of agriculture of New York has found 

 by chemical analysis 11 per cent of paraffin in oleomargarine. That is 

 a substance which no known acids have any effect upon. Do you 

 believe that the manufacturer made a return to the Government that 

 his product contained paraffin ? 



Mr. GARDNER. What I believe in that particular is of very little 

 importance. 



The CHAIRMAN. I suggest that Mr. Gardner be allowed to conclude, 

 and then we will hear from some of the men who are actually engaged 

 in the business. 



Mr. HOARD. All right. 



Mr. GARDNER. As I said, that, it seems to me, is not a valid reason. 

 The other reasons which I referred to are no more valid, the reason of 

 the small amount of fraud, which can be prevented if the manufacturers 

 of butter see fit to prevent it, the reason which is claimed, that yellow 

 is the trade-mark of butter, the reason that the sale of oleomargarine 

 will destroy the butter industry. That is negative. I have met, so 

 far as I was able, all the claims of the advocates of this bill. 



Now, affirmatively, I do claim these as reasons why the bill should 

 not be passed. I assert, in the first place, that the passage of the bill 

 would absolutely destroy the oleo industry, which during the past six- 

 teen years under the sanction of the Government of the United States 

 has been built up at a vast expenditure of money. 



I assert that the advocates of this bill intend that that shall be the 

 result of this legislation; that it is not intended by this legislation 

 merely to prohibit the sale of colored oleo and to make that impossible, 

 but it is intended by this legislation to make the sale of any oleomar- 

 garine impossible. And I submit that if the members of this com- 

 mittee will read carefully the argument of my friend on my left and 

 the argument of the gentleman on my right and the argument of the 

 author of this bill, they will see that determination stamped upon every 

 sentiment which those gentlemen have uttered. My friend upon the 

 left was obliged, I believe, to present a letter or an affidavit, which 

 was read during the discussion of this matter in the House, saying that 

 he had not expressed the sentiments which were attributed to him by 

 the report. 



Mr. HOARD. No, sir. 



Mr. GARDNER. Then some one. 



Mr. HOARD. I never made any affidavit that I know of. 



Mr. GARDNER. Then I think a letter from Governor Hoard was 

 read. 



Mr. HOARD. No, sir; no communication of the kind was ever made 

 by me. 



Mr. GARDNER. Then I withdraw that. 



