OLEOMARGARINE. 739 



and Kansas, all of whom are represented here to day by the committee 

 composed of E. H. Ferguson, of Louisville, Ky.; W. R. Cantrell, New 

 York; George B. Alexander, Greenville, Miss.; E. M. Durham, Vicks- 

 burg, Miss.; E. Steinhart, New Orleans, La.; E. S. Ready, Helena, Ark.; 

 W. H. Wright, Pine Bluff, Ark. ; A. D. Allen, Little Rock, Ark. ; P. W. 

 Brode, Memphis, Tenn. ; L. W. Haskell, Savannah, Ga. ; Jo. W. Allison, 

 Ennis, Tex.; George M. Aldridge, Dallas. Tex.; Marion Sansom, Alva- 

 rado, Tex.; A. P. McCord, Cameron, Tex., and Robert Gibson, Dallas, 

 Tex., who respectfully petition that your honorable body do not pass 

 this, to us, unjust measure. 



Thereupon the subcommittee adjourned. 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, April 17, 1900. 



The subcommittee on the Bureau of Animal Industry of the Com- 

 mittee on Agriculture met at 11.15 a. m., Hon. Henry D. Allen in the 

 chair. 



The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Hake, I understand that you gentlemen desire 

 to be heard this morning, and I would like to have you indicate which 

 one of you would like to be heard first. 



Mr. HAKE. I will make a short statement, Mr. Chairman. 



STATEMENT OF ME. J. A. HAKE. 



Mr. HAKE. I am in the live-stock commission business at South 

 Omaha, Nebr. 



The CHAIRMAN. Have you any official position in any organization? 



Mr. HAKE. I am president of that association that we have there 

 called the Live Stock Exchange. 



Doubtless this committee has been regaled with all the arguments 

 that acute and quick minds could conceive of in the direction of argu- 

 ment on the question that we think interests us. We do not desire to 

 be understood as being so conceited as to believe that we could change 

 the minds of people who had already made their minds up, or convince 

 a man against his will; but we in the West are engaged in stock grow- 

 ing and beef making, and we feel that these measures in relation to 

 oleomargarine would affect the value of our products; and we have a 

 little information in relation to our markets and our city which we 

 would like to present for the consideration of the committee. 



There being several bills now pending before the different committees 

 in Congress seeking to impose a tax on oleomargarine, or manufactured 

 butter, to such an extent as to absolutely prohibit its manufacture and 

 sale, we wish to say that the result of the passage of such measures 

 would appear to be in the interest of the dairy-producing and detri- 

 mental to the meat-producing sections of this country. 



Coming as we do from Nebraska, one of the largest meat-producing 

 States among the sisterhood of States, and representing a commer- 

 cial body the South Omaha Live Stock Exchange whose members 

 transact a daily bus ness the aggregate of which is greater than any 

 corporation, company, association, or individual in the State, and pos- 

 sibly greater than all these combined, we have asked this hearing for 

 the purpose of offering some information as to the extent of the live- 

 stock industry in our State and the damages that would result thereto 

 should these measures become a law. 



(*157) 



