456 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Senator DOLLIVER. I would like to know how a hotel in Paris is 

 prevented from selling me oleomargarine if I sit down at its table ? 



Mr. HEWES. My impression is that in Paris you are subject to the 

 depredations of plunderers the same as you are in Washington, because 

 of the color being in oleomargarine, and we ask you to eliminate it. 

 Suppose you went to the best hotel in Paris, or suppose you went to 

 the Hotel Metropole or any other place in London and they brought 

 you oleomargarine 



Senator DOLLIVER. I understood the Secretary of Agriculture to say 

 that the United States is the only country in the world which allows 

 its people to be plundered in this way. 



Mr. HEWES. He made a mistake about that, I think. I believe he 

 admitted he made a mistake and tried to correct it. He said that oleo- 

 margarine that was exported from this country was exported mostly as 

 oleo oil, and when they got it to the other side, they could do as they 

 pleased with it; but the laws on the other side are so well enforced that 

 even if a man perpetrates a fraud, he does not violate the law openly 

 as he does here. 



Senator HEITFELD. Will you allow me to interrupt you a moment ? 



Mr. HEWES. Yes, sir. 



Senator HEITFELD. This oleomargarine that I find in the market 

 here sells for 18 cents. 



Mr. HEWES. What market? 



Senator HEITFELD. Here in the Center Market in Washington it sells 

 for 18 cents a pound. There is now a tax of 2 cents a pound, and if 10 

 cents a pound is added to the tax the dealer would receive 26 cents. 

 There is no butter to be had in that market worth taking out for less 

 than 30 cents a pound. How are you going to prevent the sale of it? 

 Will not the hotels still use it in preference to butter at 26 cents when 

 they have got to pay 30 cents for poor butter ? 



Mr. HEWES. I suppose they will. 



Senator HEITFELD. Then, where are you benefited? 



Mr. HEWES. If the hotel uses that oleomargarine it will not put it 

 before you for butter. 



Senator HEITFELD. Why should it not ? 



Mr. HEWES. Because the hotel people will simply say to you, prob- 

 ably, "Do you want oleomargarine or do you want butter?" 



Mr. MEDAIRY. I would like to say this, Senator: You are adding 8 

 cents additional to the profits of the retailer. That is where you are in 

 error. The additional tax is put on the manufacturer's price. The 

 retailer now gets 18 cents a pound for the product, but if you put the 

 8 cents additional tax upon the cost of manufacture, it does not inure 

 as much profit proportionately to the retailer, and consequently the 

 consumer gets the benefit of it. 



Mr. HEWES. To resume where I left off. In the prosecutions in the 

 State of Maryland ever since 1878 it has been my privilege 



Senator ALLEN. I do not want to interrupt you unnecessarily, and if 

 it is disagreeable to you I will not do so. 



Mr. HEWES. It is not disagreeable at all, Senator. 



Senator ALLEN. You said that in Paris and other Eastern cities oleo- 

 margarine was set up in one restaurant, for instance, and no butter 

 could be sold there. 



Mr. HEWES. Only in France, Senator. 



Senator ALLEN. And conversely where butter was sold oleomarga- 

 rine could not be sold? 



Mr. HEWES. That is right. 



