212 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. SPRINGER. Will you allow me, Mr. Chairman, to make an 

 explanation here? 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Yes, sir. 



Mr. SPRINGER. The present law, as it will be seen, permits the retail 

 dealer to make a large original package, say 60 pounds a tub, and from 

 that he can retail it out in small quantities by breaking the original 

 package. The Wadsworth bill, which was favored by the minority of 

 the Committee on Agriculture in the House, provided that all oleomar- 

 garine should be put up in 1 and 2 pound packages; that each package 

 should contain on the material itself, imprinted in it, the word 

 "Oleomargarine;" and that each package should be wrapped sepa- 

 rately, and should be sold separately to the purchaser; that on each 

 package there should be the stamp of the Government and a paper also 

 wrapped around that with the word "Oleomargarine" printed on it in 

 large letters, to be regulated by the Commissioner of Internal Reve- 

 nue. So that while now the merchant may fix up a package and sell it 

 so as to deceive, if you want to compel him to sell it for what it is, take 

 the provision of the Wadsworth bill and require each package to have 

 a stamp engraved in it and wrapped together, and do not allow the 

 merchant to break that package at all, but let it go into the hands of 

 the consumer with the stamp on it just as it comes from the manufac- 

 turing establishment. Then if the consumer wants to take it home 

 and deceive his wife with it, he will have to cut off the word 

 ' ' Oleomargarine. " 



Mr. FLANDERS. May I ask Judge Springer one question in regard to 

 that? 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Yes. 



Mr. FLANDERS. Does not that same bill make that 1-pound pack- 

 age the original importer's package ? 



Mr. SPRINGER. It provides that 1 and 2 pound packages must com- 

 prise all of the output of the factory, and that they must be put in that 

 shape, and can only be sold in those packages by the retail merchant. 



Mr. FLANDERS. My question is, Did not that bill provide distinctly 

 that they should be considered an original importer's package ? 



Mr. SPRINGER. Certainly. That was to be considered as an 

 importer's package, and the sale was confined to those packages so as 

 to prevent the retail merchant from imposing on his customer; so that 

 it went into the hands of the consumer he was obliged to know and 

 could not help knowing that it was oleomargarine. After that the law 

 leaves it with the head of the family or the wife or whoever purchases 

 it the hotel proprietor, if you please. 



Mr. FLANDERS. How about the guest of the hotel ? 



Mr. SPRINGER. If the guest of the hotel can not discover the differ- 

 ence he is not robbed. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. The Chair* hopes the gentleman will be 

 allowed to finish. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. I will say that in the State of Massachusetts, and 

 1 do not know but in many other States, the law provides that if hotels, 

 restaurants, and boarding houses do use oleomargarine on. the table, 

 they must apprise the guests of the fact that they do use it. With 

 that regulation it seems to me there can be very little fraud practiced. 



Senator MONEY. Can an ordinary guest tell what he is eating ? Can 

 you tell whether you are eating oleomargarine or butter? 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Yes, sir. 



