376 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. KRACKE (continuing). And then it was finally found to be 

 absolutely impossible. Hence the law that prohibits the sale of col- 

 ored oleomargarine. 



Mr. DILLON. Now, Mr. Chairman, after we have tried year after 

 year and in various ways to get these people to do what they come in 

 here now and surround with a lot of " ifs," and after having tried in 

 every way that we could possibly devise, and having failed to find any- 

 thing that would restrict this imitation, then they come around here 

 now, and get to the last ditch, and ask us if we will agree to a certain 

 thing under certain conditions. 



I answer that if it were possible for us to do that, if it were possible 

 for it to be done in another way, it would have been done before. We 

 have nothing whatever against this product, except to prevent them 

 from making it and selling it in imitation of our product. Now, that 

 is our whole case. 



Mr. SCHELL. The factories, so far as I am advised, are right with 

 the gentleman on that proposition, and they favor to a unit, as I am 

 told, the substitute bill in the House, under which they are compelled 

 to put up their product in original packages of not to exceed 1 and 2 

 pounds, with the word " oleomargarine" stamped therein, and wrap 

 them and stamp them with the Government stamp, so that no con- 

 sumer can purchase the product except with full knowledge of what 

 it is. 



Mr. DILLON. I am familiar with the " substitute bill " of which you 

 speak, and I recognize the very able work done by the oleomargarine 

 interests in framing that substitute. It will do the work they want 

 done, but it would not answer our purpose worth a cent. 



Mr. SCHELL. It would answer your purpose, but it would not answer 

 the purpose of the friends of the Grout bill. It would answer the pur- 

 pose of compelling oleomargarine to be sold on its merits, but it would 

 not drive the colored product out of the market. As it has been 

 expressed here, it would not " legislate a poor man's poverty on his 

 table three times a day." 



Mr. DILLON. Now, my friend, look here. Suppose I were a restau- 

 rant keeper in New York or a boarding house keeper, and you were so 

 unfortunate as to be obliged to live at my table. What would there 

 be to prevent my going over into New Jersey and (under this bill of 

 which you speak) buying oleomargarine, bringing it into iny cellar, 

 putting it down there in the dark where there was nobody but myself 

 and a tallow dip I might make the tallow from the oleomargarine, I 

 suppose taking off those marks, and bringing it up and putting it on 

 my table and giving it to you to eat? What would there be to prevent 

 my doing that? 



Mr. SCHELL. It has been conceded by all the opponents of the bill, I 

 think, that it would be possible (for the time being, at least) for a 

 boarding-house keeper or a hotel proprietor to palm off' oleomargarine 

 for butter if he wished. But, on the contrary, if a man gets dissatis- 

 fied with his boarding house it is a very easy matter to move; and it 

 finally comes to the point where these (in some instances) very efficient 

 pure-food commissioners 



Mr. ADAMS. Mr. Chairman 



Mr. SCHELL. One moment ; we are both talking. We have observed 

 the courtesy of debate all along, and we expect you to do the same. A 

 man can change his boarding house and he can change his hotel; and 

 it finally drives it to a point where these very efficient pure-food com- 

 missioners, such as Mr. Kracke, for instance, know right where to go 

 and investigate. 



