OLEOMARGAEINE. 679 



Is correct or not. It is the general report all through our country, and 

 is generally understood on the commercial exchange, and by people 

 generally, that the Elgin Dairy Exchange meets Monday morning and 

 fixes the price at which butter shall be sold throughout the country. 



Representative ALLEN. For that ensuing week "2 



Mr. McCoy. Yes, sir. That is not from my personal knowledge. 



Representative ALLEN. It is currently understood? 



Mr. McOoY. It is currently understood common report. I asked 

 as to whether the creamery interests as dairy interests needed special 

 legislation to foster their industry. 



On January 1, 1890, the number of milch cows in the United States, 

 by Government report, was 15,952,883, and on January 1, 1900, the num- 

 ber by the same authority was 16,292,300. The butter exported from 

 the United States during 1894, as given by the Department of Agri- 

 culture, was 11,812,092 pounds, valued at $2,077,608, and in 18981 

 regret I have not later statistics was 25,690,025 pounds, valued at 

 $3,864,765. Does that, gentlemen, seem to bo a waning industry ? Now 

 let us look at the other side. On January 1, 1890, by the same authority 

 quoted above, there were in the United States cattle other than milch 

 cows 36,849,024, and on January 1, 1900, only 27,610,054. In other 

 words, while the cattle growers were struggling through hard times and 

 prices were at such a low ebb as to discourage the growing of herds to 

 such an extent as to show a decrease of 9,238,970, the dairy interests 

 were enabled not only to remain in business, but to increase their herds 

 339,447. The Orange Judd Farmer, published in the State of New York, 

 an agricultural journal of exceptionally high standing, and one that has 

 enjoyed the confidence of the agricultural community for a decade, in 

 a recent issue says : 



Cows are worth 50 per cent more now than during the ten years preceding 1897, 

 and are fully as high as during the boom of 1884-85. Last summer cheese got back 

 to old-time prices. Butter has of late sold much above the low quotations of four 

 or five years ago. Even milk sold in market is stiffening in prices and may go up to 

 the values of the early 80's, and will go there with organized persistency by pro- 

 ducers and reasonable cooperation from the trade. 



If I understand the bill under discussion it provides for a tax of one- 

 quarter cent per pound for uncolored oleomargarine and ten cents per 

 pound for colored, thereby inferring that uncolored oleomargarine is a 

 harmless article of food and on the same plane with uncolored butter, 

 but should pay into the internal-revenue department of the Government 

 a tax of one-quarter cent per pound in order that the public officials 

 might see, for the benefit of the general health, that it was kept in the 

 best of sanitary condition, but that colored oleomargarine is an unhealth- 

 ful and dangerous substance that should be suppressed by means of a 

 prohibitive tax. The only question, therefore, in this bill is, Do the oleo 

 manufacturers use as harmless an ingredient for coloring purposes as do 

 the creameries; and if so, shall Congress say to one industry you shall 

 not and permit it to be used by the other ? As this and similar bills have 

 been introduced by the creamery interests, as is clearly shown by their 

 advocacy of the same, we can say to them that it would be of far greater 

 benefit to the public health were they to follow the teachings of the Great 

 Master when he said: "Cast out first the beam out of thine own 

 eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy 

 brother's eye." It is a well established fact that diseases may be trans- 

 mitted of a most malignant type from animals to the human system 

 through the medium of food and drink, and the American people have 

 cause to congratulate themselves upon the great work that is being done 



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