718 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. Duff ought to know, as he is considered one of the most compe- 

 tent arid best informed oil and lard experts in this country, having 

 given years of labor and work to those products in the great packing 

 houses of this country. 



Now, Mr. Chairman, I have a short statement of the working of a 

 butteriue factory. If the committee has time I will read it. 



The CHAIRMAN. We have quite a number of gentlemen to be heard 

 this morning, and I would suggest that you leave it with the committee 

 to be included with your statement. 



Mr. HOBBS. Very well, then. I will just file it. 



(The additional statement of Mr. Hobbs referred to will be found at 

 the end of his statement.) 



1 will simply state that the oleomargarine is made up I have gotten 

 this from all the factories in this country that the oleomargarine is 

 made up of 15 to 20 per cent of cotton seed oil, 25 to 35 per cent of 

 neutral lard the neutral lard is made from the leaf fat of the hog, the 

 richest and cleanest fat in the animal 20 to 35 per cent of oleo oil, 

 which is made of the caul fat of fine beeves, and from 20 to 35 per cent 

 of butter. 



Mr. ALLEN. Will you explain what is meant by the "caul" fat? 



Mr. HOBBS. The fat around the caul or intestines. Then, last, is 20 

 to 35 per cent of butter oil, which is made from cotton seed of a certain 

 grade at a certain season of the year, and it can not be made from any 

 other kind. It is the prime oil, and I will state, also, that this extra 

 prime oleo oil is about nine grades above common tallow. 



Mr. BAILEY. You make the statement that butter is higher this year. 

 Is it higher this year than for some time? 



Mr. HOBBS. This season it has brought a uniform price of 30 cents, 

 and it has never been 



Mr. BAILEY. Are you familiar with the prices for the last two years? 



Mr. HOBBS. I went over a scale compiled by the Produce Exchange 

 giving the prices for a number of years past. 



Mr. BAILEY. Can you furnish the committee that? 



Mr. HOBBS. I can get it in New York. 



Mr. BAILEY. I wish you would submit a statement, with data on that 

 subject, showing the prices of butter in the open market. 



Mr. HOBBS. I will do so. This is the general price we are speaking 

 of, because butterine sells for 15 cents a pound to 18 cents a pound in 

 other places. But I am speaking of New York, Boston, Washington, 

 and Philadelphia. 



(The statement of prices referred to will be found at the conclusion of 

 the present statement of Mr. Hobbs.) 



Mr. ALLEN. What has been your observation of the manner in which 

 retail dealers conduct the sale of the oleomargarine product? 



Mr. HOBBS. I went into, I suppose, forty places in New York that 

 are selling or are supposed to sell butterine. I wanted to get some 

 myself. I will say to you, gentlemen, that after analyzing butterine so 

 thoroughly in our laboratory, I use it on my table. I pay my grocer 

 20 cents a pound for it. The man does not know what my business is. 

 He simply knows me as one of his customers. 



Mr. ALLEN. Have you seen any disposition on the part of any of 

 these retail dealers to conceal the stamp placed on the wrappers? 



Mr. HOBBS. I will answer that by telling you of a discovery that I have 

 made in New York of what is known as a "blind tiger." The produce 

 dealer, I will not give the name of either; it is a professional secret. 

 The New York Department of Agriculture of New York City may hunt 



(*136) 



