116 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. KNIGHT. How do you figure that, please ? 



Senator HEITFELD. Was it not $2 in the statement made here ? 



Mr. KNIGHT. From $2 to $4 in some statements. 



Mr. SPRINGER. They say in their memorial: 



"In oleomargarine a very large proportion of the consumers of this 

 country, especially the working classes, have a wholesome, nutritious, 

 and satisfactory article of diet, which before its advent they were 

 obliged, owing to the high price of butter and their limited means, to 

 go without. 



"The 'butter fat' of an average beef animal, for the purpose of 

 making oleomargarine, is worth from $3 to $4 r^er head more than it 

 was before the advent of oleomargarine, when the same had to be used 

 for tallow, which increased value of the beef steer has been added to 

 the market value of the animal, and consequently to the profit of the 

 producer. 



"To legislate this article of commerce out of existence, as the pas- 

 sage of this law would surely do, would compel slaughterers to use this 

 fat for tallow, and depreciate the market value of the beef cattle of 

 this country $3 to $4 per head, which would entail a loss on the pro- 

 ducers of this country of millions of dollars." 



Mr. KNIGHT. The amount of oleo oil used was 24,000,000 pounds? 



Mr. SPRINGER. Yes, sir. 



Mr. KNIGHT. Valued last year at about $2,000,000? 



Mr. SPRINGER. Yes, sir. 



Mr. KNIGHT. There were 5,000,000 head of cattle slaughtered in 

 this country last year. 



Senator HEITFELD. If you took that amount out of the use to which 

 it was formerly put, would not that make a difference? 



Mr. HOARD. The Treasury Department shows that there was used 

 of oleo oil produced in this country 24,000,000 pounds. That is a 

 fraction less than 5 pounds of fat from each animal. 



Senator HEITFELD. It takes that 5 out jof the gross product. 



Mr. HOARD. It is 4.99 to each animal. At their figures it would be 

 worth about $1 a pound. 



Mr. GROUT. What is the price of it? 



Mr. HOARD. Nine cents. 



Senator HEITFELD. In what way would it? 



Mr. HOARD. Because there are 5,000,000 animals slaughtered and 

 24,000,000 pounds of oleo oil used. Divide one by the other, and it 

 makes 4.99 pounds to each animal; 45 cents a pound. 



Senator HEITFELD. I do not think that is a fair estimate. 



Mr. SPRINGER. I will make this explanation. 



Mr. HOARD. I am taking the amount that would be used in oleo- 

 margarine. 



Senator HEITFELD. But you are figuring the 24,000,000 pounds as 

 the entire output from the beef, and the only output that is bringing 

 any money, throwing away the other 95 per cent. 



Mr. HOARD. I am figuring as to relationship and the worth of the 

 oleo oil, and it does not square with that live stock statement. 



Mr. SPRINGER. I will answer that. 



Mr. HOARD. It is overestimated. 



Mr. SPRINGER. Mr. Knight, in his statement before the committee 

 of the House (pages 26 and 27 of the House hearing), endeavored to 

 expose the figures used by Swift & Co. in regard to this subject. I 



