[NOTE. (*) pages at bottom refer to pages in original House hearings, 

 and are the pages meant when reference is made to House hearings in 

 Senate hearing and in review by Mr. Schell.] 



OLEOMARGARINE. 



HOUSE OF BEPRESENTATIVES, 

 COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, 

 Washington, D. 0., March 7, 1900. 



ARGUMENT OF W. D. HOARD. 



Whom do we represent? The united dairy sentiment of the nation. 

 That means over 5,000,000 farmers, and an annual cash value in their 

 product of over $600,000,000. A vast army of consumers of dairy prod- 

 ucts, who are constantly duped and swindled by a counterfeit substitute 

 for butter. The consumer is defrauded of his money and the dairy 

 farmer of his rightful market, the first being compelled to pay a butter 

 price for that which is not butter. 



The consumers and producers of butter ask Congress to enact into 

 law House bill 3717, which provides by the first section that all coun- 

 terfeit substitutes for butter, when taken into any State or Territory, 

 shall be subject to the laws of that State or Territory concerning such 

 counterfeit, the same as the Wilson law in regard to liquors, enacted, 

 I think, in 1891. It was deemed for the public welfare to enact that 

 law. We claim it is for the public welfare to place oleomargarine 

 under the operation of a similar law. 



Already thirty-two States have laws on their statute books forbid- 

 ding the manufacture and sale of fat mixtures when colored and made 

 in the semblance of butter. 



The Oleomargarine combine consists of less than twenty manufactur- 

 ers, who have entered into a conspiracy to break down these State laws, 

 and, by bribing merchants, by deception of all kinds, by subsidizing city 

 newspapers, by employing leading politicians, to so neutralize the effect 

 and administration ot those laws that they may force their counterfeit 

 upon the public. These manufacturers are assuming to override all law. 

 They stand behind all infractions of State and national laws, and fur- 

 nish money for the defense of their agents when arrested. 



On one side stands one of the greatest of our agricultural interests, 

 together with the millions of consumers who are tired of being swindled. 



On the other side stands the oleomargarine trust, engaged in manu- 

 facturing a counterfeit, depending on lawbreaking, falsehood, and 

 deception for its success, backed up with millions of capital. 



The situation is significant, whether viewed from a political, eco- 

 nomic, or patriotic standpoint. 



The second section of this bill provides, first, that on all oleomar- 

 garine which stands in its own color and not in the semblance of 

 butter, on this mixture the present Federal tax shall be reduced to a 

 fourth of one cent a pound. The dairy sentiment of the country would 

 be willing that the uncolored compound should be relieved of all taxa- 



(*1) 583 



