OLEOMARGABINE. 161 



dairy industry of this country. That can not be avoided. The price 

 at which it must be sold is not excessive. It is not an excessive price. 

 It simply brings it up to the necessary cost of good butter, so that the 

 bill can not be attacked on the ground that it is an excessive tax and 

 that it puts them at a disadvantage with the farming interests of the 

 State. They start upon the same footing, and they are entitled then 

 to the same privilege. 



I am very much obliged to the committee for their indulgence, and 

 I am sorry to have transgressed upon the time of the gentleman who 

 is to follow me. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Will the gentleman answer one question ? 



Mr. HAMILTON. Yes, sir. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. How much oleomargarine do you estimate was 

 sold in the State of Pennsylvania last year? 



Mr. HAMILTON. I do not know anything about it. 



Mr. ADAMS. What percentage do you think is sold as and for 

 butter? 



Mr. HAMILTON. I should say 50 per cent, at least. 



Mr. MATHEWSON. If you do not know about one thing how do you 

 know about the other? 



Mr. HAMILTON. I am talking about the percentage we collect. 



Mr. ADAMS. I would like to say, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. Blackburn, 

 who will now address the committee, only asks for ten minutes. 



The CHAIRMAN. Very well. 



STATEMENT OF JOSEPH H. BLACKBURN, DAIRY AND FOOD 

 COMMISSIONER OF OHIO. 



Mr. BLACKBURN. Mr. Chairman, I will endeavor to set an example 

 to those who follow me by finishing my remarks within the allotted 

 time. I have heard this question discussed so much technically, scien- 

 tifically, therapeutically, and physiologically that I do not intend to 

 give any consideration whatever to those phases of this question. I 

 have been asked perhaps a dozen times since I have been in Washing- 

 ton, " Why don't you enforce your State laws?" I have been asked 

 that perhaps a dozen times in my own State. We have a State law 

 against the manufacture and sale of artificially colored oleomargarine. 

 It is not limited to the coloring or semblance of butter, but any color- 

 ing matter whatever is forbidden. 



I desire to say that I have been dairy and food commissioner of the 

 State of Ohio for about four years. In that time I have spent nearly 

 $200,000 of the State money, and of that amount I presume 60 per cent 

 has been spent in oleomargarine prosecutions. The difficulties to con- 

 tend with in the State of Ohio may be very briefly stated. The prin- 

 cipal sales of oleomargarine, as everybody knows, are in the large cities, 

 where butter, in the winter time especially, is scarce and hard to get. 

 It has been sold so long in the larger cities of Ohio and I refer to the 

 cities of Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Toledo as the 

 larger cities in the State that there is a certain clientele built up, many 

 of whom want oleomargarine, many of whom are deceived into believing 

 that they are buying and using butter ; but when a prosecution is brought 

 there is so much sentiment there, or manufactured for the occasion 

 through the manipulation of the public press and the carefully worded 

 S. Kep. 2043 11 



