OLEOMARGARINE. 451 



will cause a direct loss to the fanner or raiser of live stock on each ani- 

 mal marketed. There has been created among stockmen a manufactured 

 sentiment that the passage of this measure would injure their business. 

 At a meeting of live-stock owners in my own State within a year a reso- 

 lution was presented protesting against the passage of this bill on the 

 ground that it would greatly lessen the value of live stock marketed. 

 It was explained that this statement was not true, and so proven. The 

 resolution was finally adopted, one prominent stockman stating in open 

 meeting that while he knew nothing as to the facts in the case he should 

 vote for the resolution on general principles. 



The National Live Stock Association has adopted resolutions oppos- 

 ing the passage of this measure, and a representative of the association 

 has appeared before this committee and attempted to show by statistics 

 and otherwise that this proposed law would very materially lessen the 

 value of all live stock marketed. 



On December 17 last, by means of the Associated Press dispatches, 

 tjiere was broadcasted over the country the following statement, pur- 

 porting to come from Mr. John W. Springer, president of the National 

 Live Stock Association. It is dated at Denver, Colo., and is as follows: 



" The stockmen of the West are all interested in this bill," said Mr. Springer to-day, 

 "and so are all manufacturers. If such a measure as this can become law no indus- 

 try in the country is safe. If it should become a law and take effect it means sim- 

 ply that the stockmen of the West will lose from $3 to $4 on every steer they market. 

 We also claim that the only people directly interested in the passage of this law is 

 the butter trust." 



A neighbor of mine who annually feeds large numbers of cattle for 

 market, after reading this statement, said to me : " If that statement be 

 true I certainly am opposed to your Grout bill." 



Gentlemen of the committee, as I understand this matter, this state- 

 ment is not true, and neither by statistics nor otherwise can it be shown 

 to be true. Statistics published by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899, show that at 41 

 packing centers the number of cattle inspected before slaughter was 

 4,654,842. Outside of those inspected by the Department it is esti- 

 mated that enough more were slaughtered to make the aggregate 

 number slaughtered for the year, 5,000,000 head. 



The report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States to 

 Congress in May last shows that in all the 83,000,000 pounds of oleo- 

 margarine manufactured in this country last year there were but 

 24,491,769 pounds of oleo oil used. This at 9 cents per pound has a 

 value of $2,204,259, which sum divided among the 5,000,000 head of 

 cattle who produced this oleo oil makes an average of 44 cents per head. 



In some cases this product is priced at 10 cents per pound, but I think 

 that is unjust from a producer's standpoint, for the reason that at 10 

 cents a pound oleo oil is a manufactured product into which labor, etc., 

 goes, and on which profit is realized, but the man who markets the 

 cattle does not receive 10 cents a pound for it, and I have used the 

 figure 9 cents, which, in my judgment, is a proper estimate. No one 

 believes or for a moment seriously contends that if this oleo product 

 used in the manufacture of oleomargarine could not be so used it 

 would be a total loss, and lessen by the sum of 44 cents the average 

 amount received by the owners of cattle for each animal sold for slaugh- 

 ter. But suppose it needs be sold at the price of other fats 5 cents 

 per pound it would mean a mere nominal loss of 20 cents on each 

 animal sold for slaughter, which sum every owner of live stock well 

 knows is hardly given a thought when his stock is being disposed of 

 for slaughter at packing centers. 



