346 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. Bond stated that in his opinion, if I am correct, about 40,000 

 barrels of cotton oil were used in the West in the manufacture of oleo- 

 margarine, or butter substitute. I do not think that nearly covers it. 

 In fact, the mills in which I am directly interested would, if that is 

 correct, have supplied 25 per cent of that quantity. 



The total production of oil of all grades, I think, equals from 

 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 barrels per year. Of that quantity I think there 

 are consumed in this country, for oleomargarine purposes, from 125,000 

 to 150,000 barrels. There are exported for the same purpose about 

 300,000 barrels, showing that the total quantity used in that particu- 

 lar line is equal to at least 25 per cent of the whole. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Will the gentleman pardon a moment's interrup- 

 tion f 



Mr. CULBERTSON. Certainly. 



Mr. TILLINGHAST. Will you explain to the committee how you get 

 the better butter oils and the lesser grades of cotton oil? 



Mr. OULBERTSON. All right; I will touch on that in a minute. 



The exportation of this large quantity of oil has been brought about 

 by hard work on our part, by the development of other businesses, par- 

 ticularly in the oleomargarine line. And if you gentlemen frame a law 

 that is practically prohibitory of an article that has the Government 

 stamp of approval on it in the shape of the 2-cent tax, how can you 

 "expect us to maintain our export trade 1 ? 



The exportation of cotton oil for that particular purpose forms a 

 small part of our exports. What is to become of the trade in oleo oil 

 or in neutral lard? The countries that make this product rely on this 

 country for its ingredients. What is to become of that business, that 

 has taken years for us to work up, if you gentlemen pass a prohibi- 

 tory, unjust, and vicious tax on something that has been approved by 

 this Government? I think there ought to be some consistency in 

 things of that character. We have at times been importuned to join 

 export associations for the development of export trade, on the ground 

 that our export business would be increased and that our business 

 would be enlarged It seems to me they could turn their attention to 

 the development and maintenance of their domestic trade. It seems to 

 me that legislative bodies like yours should not be called upon to protect 

 internally one interest as against another. 



We hear of oleomargarine. What is oleomargarine? When the 

 stamp of approval of the Government was put on it it was an article 

 that was sold for what it was or supposed to have been. You want to 

 take out now one ingredient, that of the butter color, an article that 

 has been produced and manufactured since butter was made. Have 

 they a patent right to that particular thing for their particular mixture? 

 The butter color, as I understand, was originally made, and the vehicle 

 by which it was carried was olive oil. They found they could lessen 

 the cost of the production of that article by using cotton-seed oil, so 

 that, as Mr. Tompkins has stated this morning, every pound of butter 

 June butter, if you may so call it, made in December has cotton oil in 

 it, where it is colored. 1 do not see why the butter people should 

 claim a patent right to that particular ingredient. It seems to me that 

 the butter-color manufacturers would cry out against such a procedure. 

 You might just as well compel by law the elimination of any other 

 principal ingredient in oleomargarine or butterine, or butter substitute, 

 whatever you may call it. 



The ACTING CHAIRMAN. Would it disturb you if I should ask a 

 question on that point? 



