508 OLEOMARGARINE. 



prevent it. We happen to have interests ourselves, and when they are 

 attacked we propose to devote organized effort to their protection. I 

 beg to submit in conclusion one of the great number of resolutions 

 adopted by labor organizations, viz, that of the Cleveland Building 

 Trades Council, a central body representing over 6,000 Cleveland work- 

 ingmen. 



BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL, 



Cleveland, Ohio, April 27, 1900. 



DEAR SIR: The Building Trades Council, of Cleveland, Ohio, and vicinity, repre 

 senting over 5,000 mechanics, has by unanimous vote indorsed the action of the 

 Chicago Federation of Labor and all the other labor organizations who are so doing 

 in opposing the persecution of the butterine industry. 



We can not see any justification in placing a larger or, in fact, any tax on butterine 

 or oleomargarine. The article is sold on its merits, and it would rather hurt than 

 help its sale to attempt to sell it for butter, as it is more popular and generally 

 regarded as more healthy than butter. Any of our people that may not want but- 

 terine can, while it is on the market, buy butter at a reasonable price, but if the 

 attempt to kill it by legislation is successful, the butter manufacturers will have no 

 competitors, and the result will be that the present butter trust will absorb the 

 butter industry and control the purchase of milk by having little creameries in every 

 farming locality on the plan of The Standard Oil Company, and we will have the 

 pleasure of 50 or 60 cents per pound for butter, or going without it altogether, the 

 chances being in favor of the latter. 



We feel that as butteriue is demanded and sold for what it is, and as the laws 

 regulating its manufacture and sale are operating successfully in preventing its 

 adulteration, that the legislative bodies of our country have gone as far as they have 

 any right to go, and that further interference on their part is persecution and 

 intended to advance private interests at the expense of the rights of the people. 



There is, undoubtedly, political motives behind all this. 



There are a hundred different cases in which legislative vigilance could protect 

 the people from adulterated foods where such vigilance is not exercised, or if in any 

 remote way ever applied it is not being taken advantage of by the officials supposed 

 to enforce it; and why? Simply because the manufacturers of adulterated foods or 

 the beneficiaries of their existence have no influential competitors to be served by 

 their suppression. 



Bntterine has been the victim of legislative attacks for a number of years, and we 

 feel it is now time to let up on it and devote the effort wasted in the persecution of 

 this legitimate industry to some more worthy cause in the protection of the real 

 interests of the people. 



There is an old saying that " He who is bent on an evil deed is never lacking for 

 an excuse," and it is certainly applicable in this case, the excuse being that it is 

 wrong to color butterine because it is likely to be sold as butter, whereas, in fact, 

 owing to the extreme popularity of the former, there is more liability of an attempt 

 being made by some butter manufacturer to imitate it, and the only reason why an 

 attempt is made to prevent the use of the material in butterine imparting color to 

 it is to hurt its sale, as it has been proven this material is perfectly healthy. And 

 where is the justice of prohibiting its use simply because it helps the sale of an 

 honest product? 



As long as the people want butterine and it is good to use, as the Government 

 chemists have proven, why should it be abolished? We can not see that there is 

 need to say more. You can not but see the rank injustice of this whole business, 

 and we would, therefore, earnestly request, in the name of common American jus- 

 tice, that you would strenuously oppose and exert every means in your power to 

 defeat all such legislation. 



This letter has the hearty indorsement of our body, and as a testimony of which it 

 bears our seal. 



W. C. DAVIS, 



President. 

 GRANT MORGAN, 



Senator MONEY. Are you a member of the Knights of Labor? 



Mr. McNAMEE. No, sir; I am vice-president of the Columbus Trades 

 and Labor Assembly. That assembly is affiliated 



Senator MONEY. Do you know how the Knights of Labor stand on 

 this question? 



Mr. McEAMEE. Well, the Knights of Labor and the Federation of 

 Labor are two different bodies. 



