OLEOMAKGARINE. 20 1 



I said that the only excuse they could have for coining here was the 

 confession that those laws are not enforced concerning colored oleo- 

 margarine in those States where those laws obtain; and I said that that 

 was no excuse for coming to Congress, and it is not, even if it were 

 admitted, for the purposes of argument, that there was a large amount 

 of colored oleomargarine sold in those States contrary to law, and sold 

 in fraud of butter a proposition which I am not ready to" admit. But 

 I am ready to confess and state what I believe to be true with reference 

 to that matter, that there is more colored oleomargarine sold contrary 

 to law in those States which have laws against it than there is in those 

 States where oleomargarine is permitted to be sold for exactly what it 

 is; and concerning that question I can speak with some personal 

 experience and some knowledge. This committee has sat most 

 patiently, and they have the gratitude, I am sure, of all the oleomar- 

 garine people as well as the dairymen, because they have been most 

 fair and lenient; and if we have been, perhaps, very anxious to pre- 

 sent our claims, it must be pardoned because of the fact that the con- 

 sideration of this bill is of the greatest importance to us, of far greater 

 importance to us than it is to the dairy interests. There should be no 

 argument left unmade, and no fact, disguised or unknown, that should 

 not be put in the possession of this committee. 



I was about to say that I had some knowledge of how oleomargarine 

 is sold in one State, at least, where the only regulation concerning 

 oleomargarine is that it must be sold for what it is and can not be sold 

 for what it is not; and that does not appertain to the color. In Rhode 

 Island oleomargarine has been sold ever since it was invented, and the 

 sales of oleomargarine have constantly increased in that State. While 

 those sales have constantly increased, I will say that with reference to 

 the city of Providence there is not a better butter market in the world 

 in comparison to the population. There is not a place where butter 

 brings a higher price, or where better butter is found upon the mar- 

 ket. Within less than one week I have myself tasted butter in the 

 city of Providence that is better than I have seen in the city of Wash- 

 ington or in the city of New York. 



Further, oleomargarine is not sold in Providence or in the State of 

 Rhode Island for butter, and 1 would be willing to state that I would 

 pay a forfeiture of $500 for every violation of the oleomargarine law 

 of the State of Rhode Island. There is no temptation whatever in 

 that State to sell oleomargarine for what it is not, because it comes 

 in competition with butter. It is advertised on the streets for what it is. 

 Everybody knows that they can buy oleomargarine for 15 cents a pound 

 in wholesale quantities in 10-pound packages, or 17 cents at retail; 

 and it is in the stores side by side with butter. You have free course 

 to buy whatever you please, and there is no attempt on the part of 

 the retail dealer or the wholesale dealer to induce you to buy it. It is 

 so generally known as a food product in the stores and throughout the 

 States, that there is no temptation whatever to deceive anybody, and 

 try to sell it for butter. 



It is true in the State of Massachusetts, as I suppose it is true in all 

 other States that have the anticolor law, that a percentage, perhaps a 

 considerable percentage (I can give you my guess, as other people can 



five you theirs) is sold for butter. 1 want to be honest about this 

 want to treat this question fairly; and I say the reason that any of 

 it, or any considerable amount of it, is sold for butter is due to the 



