OLEOMARGARINE. 607 



you color your butter in winter to make it loot like June butter 

 that which is rich and has high flavor." "It would scarcely be good 

 business to color for that purpose," was the response of the witness, 

 " because if the buyer thought it to be June butter offered for sale in 

 winter he would want to buy it at June butter prices, which are from 

 2 to 4 cents a pound lower in winter than fresh made goods." 



So it will be seen that this argument of endeavoring to deceive peo- 

 ple into thinking they are getting June butter in winter isn't very good, 

 logic. 



THE LAW OF 1886 WAS NOT A REVENUE MEASURE. 



Swift & Co., in commenting upon the amount of revenue produced by 

 oleomargarine since the present law went into effect, in 1886, say: 



You will note the fact also that since the present oleomargarine law took effect 

 it has turned into the Treasury, in less than fifteen years, the large amount of 

 $15,942,101.43 taxes. 



We are painfully aware of that fact. This law of 1886 was enacted 

 as the only remedy the General Government could afford to check the 

 enormous frauds being practiced in the sale of oleomargarine at that 

 time. The tax was placed at 2 cents a pound, this being regarded 

 to be about the figure needed to raise sufficient revenue to enable the 

 Government to enforce the other provisions of the bill. What has 

 been the result! No attention whatever has been paid to the intent of 

 the law. Be venue collectors have been satisfied to see that the taxes 

 were paid. It has not been possible to interest them to any extent 

 whatever in the enforcement of the provision requiring the branding 

 of packages by the retailer, which was the entire intent of the law 

 of 1886. 



The internal-revenue collector of a certain prominent district made 

 the statement that it would be poor policy for his department to inter- 

 fere with the volume of trade in a revenue-producing article by enforc- 

 ing regulations which would have such effect. In the city of Chicago 

 about the only part of the law that is enforced is that requiring the 

 payment of the 2-cent tax and the license stamps. No attention is 

 paid to complaints of the sale of oleomargarine at retail not properly 

 branded. These complaints have been made and ignored dozens of 

 times, and what is said of Chicago can, we are informed by those who 

 have investigated, be said of other districts. 



FIGURES USED TO FRIGHTEN LIVE-STOCK MEN. 



But in the fifth statement Swift & Co. play their strongest card 

 against the Grout bill and 10 cent tax, and a more brazen attempt to 

 mislead Congress has probably never been brought to the surface. 

 They say: 



Fifth. The enactment of these bills would seriously affect the cattle industry. 

 The manufacturer of oleomargarine has created a demand for oleooil, which is made 

 from the choice fats from the beef, and is worth to-day 10 cents per pound. If these 

 choice fata were not utilized in the manufacture of oleomargarine they would have 

 to be sold as tallow, which is worth 6 cents per pound. A steer will yield 50 pounds 

 of oleo oil; therefore, should the oleomargarine industry be destroyed each steer 

 would depreciate in value $2. The same is true of the hog. Leaf lard (or neutral) 

 is used in the manufacture of oleomargarine. Neutral is to-day worth 8 cents per 

 pound, lard is worth 6 cents per pound; a hog will yield about 8 pounds of neu- 

 tral. If thore was no demand for neutral as an oleomargarine ingredient it would 

 have no greater value than lard; hence each hog would be worth 20 cents less than 

 present price. 



(*25) 



