422 OLEOMARGARINE. 



the materials and manufacture of a pound of oleomargarine is a frac- 

 tion more than 11 cents. 



Senator HEITFELD. It sells here on the market for 18 cents per 

 pound. 



Senator MONEY. We have here an advertisement from a grocer in 

 Cincinnati, I believe, who advertises three grades of oleomargarine, 

 and my recollection is that the prices were 11J, 12J, and 13 cents. 

 Then he advertises his butter at about 25 cents. He may be an excep- 

 tional trader, and I think honest traders are generally exceptional. 



Secretary WILSON. A gentleman has handed me a table of prices 

 here showing that it costs five and a fraction cents a pound. I do not 

 know how that is. 



The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Secretary, in regard to this process butter, 

 would not the self-interest of the farmer gradually tend to cure that 

 evil the manufacture of poor butter, rancid butter I 



Secretary WILSON. The education at agricultural colleges is doing 

 that. Process butter, or renovated butter, as we understand it, is the 

 butter picked up through the grocery stores throughout the country 

 where they have no creameries and shipped to central points. 



The CHAIRMAN. Where they have no proper training and do not know 

 how to make good butter? 



Secretary WILSON. Exactly. It is shipped by these people to the 

 markets and sold for what they can get; and generally the merchant 

 handles it without a profit, because he sells goods by it. 



The CHAIRMAN. So that self-interest would tend to 



Secretary WILSON. Yes. They take a mass of this stuff with as 

 many colors as Jacob's coat and reduce it to one color, and they use 

 chemicals. I have known lime to be used for that purpose. That kind 

 of butter gets a bacteria, the bacteria of decomposition, and they have 

 to use strong chemicals in order to destroy and kill that bacteria. Then 

 they put the thing on the market, and if we happen to eat it we have 

 to take chances on those chemicals. 



The CHAIRMAN. I want to ask one more question in that connec- 

 tion. On account of self-interest that is what governs the human race 

 usually would not the tendency be in the manufacture of oleomarga- 

 rine more and more to use cheaper and improper materials as compe- 

 tition grew greater? 



Secretary WILSON. Oh, there is no limit. They will take the cheap- 

 est materials, no matter where they find them. Without any question 

 self-interest will require them to do that. 



Senator ALLEN. The country groceryman all over the United States 

 receives butter from his customers in exchange for goods'? 



Secretary WILSON. Yes. 



Senator ALLEN. Very much of which is not salable even in the county 

 where it is manufactured? 



Secretary WILSON. Yes, sir. 



Senator ALLEN. It is put into barrels and kept sometimes for weeks. 

 Where is that butter shipped ? 



Secretary WILSON. That butter is shipped to centers, where it is 

 renovated. 



Senator ALLEN. And that goes in process butter? 



Secretary WILSON. That is the foundation of process butter; but in 

 our country, in the West, where the creameries are extended, it is not 

 known any more. There are whole counties in your State and mine 

 where no such butter originates at all, because they sell the milk to the 

 creamery, and it makes fine Elgin butter. 



