40 OLEOMAKGAEINE. 



matter of dress; we can not violate it, our eye will not allow us to vio- 

 late it, our education will not allow us to violate it, in regard to what 

 we eat. It is absolutely impossible to force upon the market at any 

 price a white substance to be used as butter, and therefore if it is pro- 

 posed to insist that this substance shall be sold in its natural condition 

 and without any coloring matter you force it absolutely out of sale 

 entirely. 



Now, gentlemen, the manufacturer of oleomargarine does not color 

 his product in order that it may resemble butter. He wants to sell it 

 as oleomargarine. He can not sell it as anything else. When a sale 

 for it as oleomargarine is established his business increases and his 

 business becomes reputable, but it is absolutely impossible for him to 

 carry on that business if he is compelled to put up his product in a form 

 in which the public will not take it. We color our oleomargarine for 

 exactly the same reason that the manufacturer of butter colors his but- 

 ter. As the author of the bill said yesterday, the manufacturer of 

 butter must color his butter in order that the people who are accus- 

 tomed to spread that yellow substance upon their bread may spread it. 

 When we send oleomargarine to South America we color it, as I have 

 said, a deep blood red or dark brown, because the people of that coun- 

 try like to spread that kind of substance upon their bread. 



Senator HANSBKOUGH. Is that the color of their butter down there ? 



Mr. GARDNER. I do not know whether it is the color of their butter 

 or not; it is what they demand. It is the color of taste. It is a sub- 

 stitute for something else that they use as butter. 



Senator BATE. The color and not the taste governs the sale alto- 

 gether, then? 



Mr. GARDNER. No, sir; I think not. The color is a necessary ele- 

 ment, but the taste is even more important. We can not sell yellow 

 butter which is rancid because it is yellow, neither can we sell good 

 butter which is white because it is good. Both elements must concur 

 if we are to make a sale of the product. 



Now, I want to say to you, gentlemen, on behalf certainly of one 

 manufacturer whom I represent, and I believe on behalf of every other 

 . manufacturer, that the manufacturers of oleomargarine welcome any 

 legislation which will render it more difficult and which will make it 

 absolutely impossible to sell this substance for anything except what 

 it is. We welcome the suggestion that oleomargarine shall be placed 

 within the provisions of the pure-food bill which it is proposed to 

 adopt. But we do protest against the destruction of our industry. 



There is, I think, now before this committee a bill (it was here at 

 the last session) entitled "A bill to define renovated butter, also 

 imposing a tax upon and regulating the manufacture, sale, importation, 

 and exportation thereof." That bill is upon the files of this committee. 

 If that bill is left to slumber upon the files of the committee, if this 

 substance is not included within the provisions of the bill which is now 

 before this committee, then the result of the legislation is to drive 

 absolutely away and out of commerce an article which is acknowledged 

 to be pure and wholesome and for which there is acknowledged to be 

 a demand, and to force upon the whole community as a substitute for 

 it an article which is acknowledged, I think, to be deleterious. The 

 manufacturers of oleomargarine can manufacture process butter if 

 they are driven to do it; but process butter is an article which should 

 not under any regulations be permitted to be used as food. 



