284 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. SC^HELL. Someone will kindly look at page 4 of the hearing 

 here before the committee. 

 Now, he says further (p. 10) : 



All that we ask is that the people be protected in the right to choose between 

 the two articles. 



We agree to that, to a man. We want the same thing. We want 

 to have the right to choose between the two articles. But does he 

 mean it? The evidence is conflicting on that point. 



He goes on to say : 



We have not appealed to Congress for aid along the line of discouraging the sale 

 of oleomargarine made in semblance of butter, until the matter of accomplishing 

 the same result through State legislation has been thoroughly tested and proven a 

 failure. 



The evidence is not to the effect that it has proven a failure where it 

 has been tested. 



Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Schell, will you permit me to make an interruption? 



Mr. SCHELL. In just a moment. 



Mr. KNIGHT. I wish to make a correction in the record. I want to 

 call your attention to the fact that the stenographer made a mistake in 

 attributing this remark to me. It is evidently something which Mr. 

 Flanders said. I did not make the statement. It was the stenographer's 

 error, and that should be corrected in the record. 



Mr. SCHELL. We are willing that that should be done. We do not 

 want to misquote anybody. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. While you are right there, this thought 

 occurs to me : Of course, I think, nobody wants to destroy this industry. 



Mr. SCHELL. I think Congress does not. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. If it can be preserved in some way which 

 will do justice to other industries. Is there not some point where you 

 could select an oleomargarine color which would be agreeable to the 

 taste and attractive to the eye, and which would not collide with this 

 ancient butter color? 



Mr. SCHELL. Why, if you please; we will select and will adhere to 

 the same color which we have used since our beginning. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. I know, but that happens to correspond 

 with the color of butter. It is identical with it. 



Mr. SCHELL. It happened to correspond, according to the evidence 

 and the fucts,with the color ot butter adopted by the creameries, which 

 came into existence after we began to color oleomargarine, and has 

 since been adopted by the dairies and the farmers. We are the first 

 in the field with a unifonq color; and if they will stick to their natural 

 color, there will be no danger of any conflict. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. But in that case this question of family 

 pride, which was referred to in connection with these families in Penn- 

 sylvania, would still arise. 



Mr. SCHELL. It is custom; it is pride. Pride uover gets too hot or 

 too cold; and pride affects the appetite and everything else. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. But if butter makers should uniformly adopt 

 the artificial color of white, these gentlemen who spoke a while ago would 

 still be left in the shabby situation of buying an article which was in 

 some disrepute in the neighborhood if they took oleomargarine. 



Mr. SCHELL. I think that is a little far reaching; but if they should 

 complain, in that event they would be coirplaining without just cause. 

 And unless a complaint is made with c.iuse, it ought not to receive 

 much consideration, 



