OLEOMABGAKLNE. 183 



thereby permitting the manufacture and sale of butterine under such 

 safeguards as the Federal Government may see fit to impose to insure 

 its being sold on its merits. 



In round numbers there are 75,000,000 people in this country. I 

 believe a reasonable estimate of the number of Indians and children 

 under a butter-eating age to be 25,000,000, which would leave a popu- 

 lation of 50,000,000 outside of these classes who are consumers of 

 butter. 



Of this 50,000,000 people at least one-half are able to buy the best 

 butter manufactured, irrespective of price, while the other 25,000,000 

 are a class of people whom the butterine manufacturers aim to reach 

 and benefit, and are a class of our citizens known as laborers, not in 

 the common acceptance of the term, but as a class of people following 

 a variety of pursuits at small salaries, and in most cases, owing to 

 their dependencies and meager earnings, compelled to go without the 

 luxuries of life. 



It is this class of people whose interests need careful consideration, 

 whose claims upon you as their representatives are invariably backed 

 by justice, who are always the greatest sufferers b} T and the most 

 sensitive to inimical legislation, who always are the first to respond 

 to and cheerfully comply with all just and reasonable laws. 



As the representative of the National Live Stock Exchange, I also 



Elead for a consideration of the rights of this class of our citizens, who, 

 L-om the nature of their surroundings and conditions, are unable to 

 appear before you in their own behalf. 



They, who are the principal consumers of butterine, are not asking 

 for any legislation. The producers and raisers of fat cattle are not 

 asking you for any legislation in this respect. 



Why should it be any more unlawful to put into butterine, the prod- 

 uct of "the beef steer, the same coloring matter as is put into butter, 

 the similar product of his sister, the dairy cow? 



Is there any equity or justice in such denial? Is it made necessary 

 by the conditions? Is it warranted upon any grounds? If it is, I am 

 at a loss to comprehend it. 



This kind of legislation is most assuredly the worst and most vicious 

 kind of class legislation, because it is inaugurated solely for the pur- 

 pose of destroying a competitive industry equally as important and 

 equally as deserving of legislative support and protection. 



The~ Grout bill represents an attempt on the part of Congress to tax 

 one legitimate industry out of existence for the benefit of another 

 industry. The ostensible purpose is protection to the consumers against 

 "imitation butter;' 5 but the public has never asked for such protec- 

 tion. It does not even object to the coloring of butterine the same as 

 butter, so long as the butterine is properly labeled and sold on its 

 merits. As a matter of fact, the consumers, of butterine prefer to 

 have it colored, so long as the coloring material used is harmless. They 

 like butterine because of its cheapness and because they are satisfied 

 with its purity and wholesomeness. 



The enactment of this bill will not only deprive the consumer of a 

 healthy and nutritious article of food, but immediately it becomes a 

 law will depreciate the value of the beef cattle and take from the pro- 

 ducers of this country upwards of forty -five millions of dollars. 



In conclusion, I desire to thank you for granting me the privilege of 

 recording our organization on the side of right and justice and in favor 



