OLEOMARGARINE. 357 



home. In his basket he carries a certain amount of butter. I remem- 

 ber, before the use of oleomargarine became as general as it is is now, 

 the complaints that these men used to make about butter getting sour. 

 The heat of the caboose would cause it to become rancid and unpalat- 

 able in a very short time, and in a great many instances they would 

 simply have to throw it out. But since the use of oleomargarine has 

 become general, these men, without an exception, take it along with 

 them on their runs, and they never have any complaints to make 

 about it. 



Now, I speak from practical experience, and I myself, when going on 

 a long run, have taken with me a certain amount of it in my dinner 

 pail. We used frequently to fix things so that we can make tea or coffee, 

 or something of that kind, and try to have a hot meal when we are out 

 on the road. I am not, at the present time, engaged in railroad serv- 

 ice, but I have been until a comparatively recent date. Eight or nine of 

 the best years of my life have been devoted to it. And my experience is 

 that the introduction of butterine has been a boon to the men who want 

 sometbing that is healthful and palatable in the way of a spread for 

 their bread men who are compelled to take it along in their lunch 

 pails as these men are, and to use it whenever the necessity for its use 

 arises. 



There are a great many members of organized labor who are familiar 

 with the methods made use of in the manufacture of oleomargarine. 

 They have visited these factories. They have noticed that without 

 exception they are spotlessly clean, and are kept up to that standard. 

 They know that this product is heated to such a degree as to preclude 

 the possibility of any disease germs remaining in it. Chemists have 

 proven that such is the case, and the members of organized labor are 

 thoroughly satisfied that there is absolutely no danger of the spread 

 of disease or of contracting any disease from its use. On the other 

 hand, it has been clearly demonstrated that in a great many instances 

 cows which yield butter are afflicted with consumption. The germs of 

 consumption exist in them, and they will necessarily get into the 

 product known as butter. Now, of course, there are lots of people who 

 can not contract consumption, as the condition of their system will not 

 permit the growth of the germs, but there are hundreds of people who 

 are predisposed to it, and as soon as such persons consume butter of 

 the kind I have named the germs commence to develop in them, and, 

 as a consequence, hundreds and hundreds of our citizens ai*e brought 

 to premature graves through this dread disease. 



Kelative to the restrictions of the sale of oleomargarine that already 

 exist, I can not see that they can be improved upon as protective 

 measures. Every package of oleomargarine must be stamped, in the 

 first place. One of the provisions of the Grout bill is as follows: 



But when colored in imitation of butter the tax to be paid by the manufacturer 

 shall be 10 cents per pound. 



Now, gentlemen,! want to state to you, upon my honor as a man and 

 as a representative of thousands of members of organized labor, who 

 have empowered me to come here and in their name and in their behalf 

 to protest as vigorously as it is possible for me to do against the enact- 

 ment of this law, that the people in the section of country from which 

 I have come insist, as a protective measure, upon seeing the proper 

 stamp is upon the paper or package inclosing the oleomargarine that 

 they buy, so that they can be sure it is oleomargarine, and so that they 

 shall know that no deception is being practiced upon them. 



