80 OLEOMAKGARINE. 



hog and every cow in this country. There is 27 per cent of milk in it. 

 It will hit every steer in this country, and I want to ask this convention 

 to pass this memorial with a rising vote and send it to Washington to 

 defeat this iniquitous bill. 



" Butter is higher than ever before. It is now 27 cents per pound. 

 Butter never was shorter in this country than now. Let the butter 

 people go and stop that condition before they ask to kill an existing 

 industry that is helping the farmers of this country. 1 thank you." 



This was followed by applause, and one delegate said u Amen," which 

 may indicate the feeling which was manifested. 



Mr. Sotham, of the American Hereford Breeders' Association, of 

 Chillicothe, Mo., said: 



"We have no objections, as beef raisers, to the contention of the 

 dairymen if butterine or oleomargarine is sold for just what* it is, but 

 I think, and you all seem to, that it is wrong to put a tax on a product 

 which is exactly the same as butter, pronounced exactly the same by 

 the best chemical process; and while we would be willing to establish 

 the product on the best footing if sold for just what it is, as butterine, 

 we also want to see the dairymen hold in mind a matter in which we 

 are interested with them. Every time you get a miserable and inferior 

 butter, of farm butter, these fellows straightway call it oleomargarine, 

 while the fact is the product of these packing houses to-day is better 

 than two-thirds of the butter that is produced in this country. Any 

 of us would rather have it on our tables." [Applause]. 



This fact I do not know and will not vouch for. 



. The motion was then carried by a rising vote, there being but 3 

 votes in opposition to the adoption of the memorial. So that may be 

 considered as being before this committee as the unanimous expression 

 of those who have been engaged in cattle raising, which embraces also 

 the hog industry and the other live-stock interests. 



The book containing the proceedings of the convention furnishes 

 some valuable statistics in reference to the cattle industry of the United 

 States. On page 82 will be found statistics of the number and value 

 of milch cows and other cattle in the United States January 1, 1900. 



Milch cows, 16,292,000; average value, $31.60, and total value, 

 $514,812,106. Other cattle, 27,610,054; average value, $24.97, and 

 total value, $689,486,260. The number of other cattle exceeded the 

 number of milch cows 11,308,800, and their value exceeded the value 

 of milch cows $174,674,154. 



The National Live-Stock Association has not heretofore appeared 

 before any committee of Congress, through its own representatives, to 

 oppose the legislation contained in the pending bill. 



Several of the members of the National Association appeared before 

 the House Committee on Agriculture, and their remarks will be found 

 in the hearings of that committee which are before you. 



This is the volume which was laid before you by Representative 

 Grout, and I call the attention of the committee to some of the remarks 

 in this book, beginning on page 70. 



I also call your attention to the remarks of John S. Hobbs, editor of 

 the National Provisioner, of New York and Chicago, on pages 130 to 

 141. It contains much valuable information on the subject now before 

 this committee. 



Also to the statement of Mr. J. A. Hake, president of the Live- 

 stock Exchange of South Omaha, Nebr., printed on pages 157 to 166 

 pf the House hearings, which contains valuable statistics. 



