OLEOMARGARINE. 419 



and the meat products of the country are being prepared in the Missis- 

 sippi Valley, east of the Missouri Biver, more and more. A dairy is an 

 absolute necessity on the farms now. because while the man who is a 

 free commoner on the ranges could afford to keep a cow for a calf, those 

 east of the Missouri can not. 



Senator ALLEN. But the great herds of this country are west of the 

 Missouri, are they not? 



Secretary WILSON. They were west of the Missouri, but the decrease 

 in the number of cattle is due, to a great extent, to the destruction of 

 the grazing west of the Missouri Eiver and the contraction of the num- 

 ber of stock there. 



Senator MONEY. Will you allow me to ask a question, Mr. Secretary? 



Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. 



Senator MONEY. You express yourself favorably in your paper to the 

 provision that prevents the coloring of oleomargarine. Would you also 

 favor a provision in the bill that would prevent the coloring of butter? 



Secretary WILSON. I have had that question asked me before and 

 have thought a great deal about it. The reply is simply this : The col- 

 oring of butter in the winter time deceives nobody. The coloring of 

 the fats of commerce to make an imitation deceives everybody. 



Senator MONEY. The testimony here has been that there are several 

 grades of butter, as well as of oleomargarine, and there is a grade of 

 butter which is denominated by some "renovated" and by some " res- 

 urrected "butter, and they said that it was white, sour, rancid, and had 

 a great many other obnoxious features to it; that it had goue through 

 a certain process of ladling; that a little oil was added to it, and differ- 

 ent things that go into the composition of oleomargarine were added to 

 it, and then the coloring. Does that deceive anybody? 



Secretary WILSON. It does. 



Senator MONEY. You then favor putting in a clause here that will 

 prevent everybody from coloring butter? 



Secretary WILSON. No, I would not. I would have no objection to a 

 clause which would prevent the coloring of renovated butter. Cow 

 butter is naturally yellow. 



Senator MONEY. This manufacture of oleomargarine, as I under- 

 stand, is a lawful industry, is it not? 



Secretary WILSON. Oh, there is no doubt about that. 



Senator MONEY. Now, the testimony of experts here has been that 

 it is nutritious and wholesome. 



Secretary W^ILSON. Yes ; I know what your testimony has been here. 

 That is the testimony of the chemists. 



Senator MONEY. And also the physicians. 



Secretary WILSON. I am giving you the testimony of practical 

 knowledge. 



Senator MONEY. That is what the manufacturers said also. The 

 testimony has also been that there has been no deception on the part 

 of the manufacturer toward the wholesale dealer, and no deception on 

 the part of the wholesale dealer toward the retail dealer, but the 

 deception comes or is practiced upon the consumer to some extent by 

 the retail dealer. In view of that, are you justified in calling it a bogus 

 industry ? 



Secretary WILSON. I am. You and I need protection, Senator, and 

 we ought to have it. 



Senator MONEY. We do not. We need letting alone. 



Secretary WILSON. We are eating that bogus article on our tables 

 every day unless we are sure we send to a creamery and get the genuine 

 article. 



