OLEOMARGARINE. 45 



ORDER OF PROCEDURE. 



Senator ALLEN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the sessions of the 

 committee be continuous during the holidays, to the end that the com- 

 mittee may be fully prepared to report promptly on the bill upon the 

 reconvening of Congress after the holiday recess. 



The CHAIRMAN. I will state that I have told parties who wish to be 

 heard, and I have told those representing some of the Southern inter- 

 ests, that they might be heard as late as the 3d of January. 



Senator ALLEN. I make the motion because if the report runs over 

 to the middle or the latter part of January there is no possibility of 

 the bill being considered at the present session of Congress. 



Senator MONEY. In the first place, there will be no one here during 

 the holidays to hear these gentlemen except the chairman. 



The CHAIRMAN. I was going to say that I thought there would be a 

 subcommittee here, and any members of the committee who will be 

 here I will name as a subcommittee. 



Senator MONEY. There will not be any members of the committee 

 here but yourself. 



Senator BATE. I hold in my hand some telegrams in regard to the 

 matter, and other Senators I know have received similar telegrams, 

 and the parties ask that they may be heard here at some time by the 

 committee as late as the 15th of January. These parties are from 

 Texas, Tennessee, and other States. They did not expect any hearing 

 during the holidays. Then let us fix the very latest date. They want 

 to come here as a committee or a delegation on this question. I may 

 differ with them, but, notwithstanding, I think they are. entitled to be 

 heard. 



The CHAIRMAN. Quite a number of dispatches have been received, 

 and, curiously, they all seem to name the same time, as though there 

 was a little concert. They name the 15th of January. But that is 

 no matter. I have replied to them that it would be impossible to 

 postpone the hearing as long as that date. Several Senators spoke 

 to me yesterday on the subject, and I told them that I could not make 

 any promise to extend the hearing after the 3d of January. 



Senator ALLEN. I will modify my motion and move that the hearing 

 be concluded by the 10th of January. 



The CHAIRMAN. That gives almost three weeks' notice, and it strikes 

 me that it is reasonable. 



Senator BATE. But the holidays intervene. 



The CHAIRMAN. But the parties can be preparing their statements. 

 We have had a very good one this morning. After that time we shall 

 have the appropriation bills, the army bill, and all the other measures 

 pressing upon us. We do not know exactly what will be the state of 

 the public business. Of course we want to treat everybody fairly, 

 but it seems to me that that is the latest time. When the time comes, 

 if there is good reason for it, the committee can change their view, 

 but I think it would be unwise now to name a later time. 



Senator MONEY. In the first place, I think it is unwise to fix a day 

 at all. There ought not to be a termination to information. I do not 

 think the committee is likely to be too well informed upon this sub- 

 ject. It is very much more important than merely the regulation of 

 a competitive struggle between the manufacturers of butter and oleo- 

 margarine. There are some millions of people in the United States 



