746 OLEOMARGARINE. 



Mr. BAILEY. These figures, yon do not intend to say that they are 

 technically true. The general impression and belief of the cattlemen 

 in your country is that the killing of this industry must materially 

 affect the cattle and stock interests of the Northwest, and the whole 

 country. 



Mr. HAKE. Yes, that is it. 



Mr. BAILEY. As regards technical knowledge, you do not pretend to 

 have absolute technical knowledge? 



Mr. HAKE. No, sir, and it varies; it varies with the seasons the 

 price of the product of cattle and the price of hogs. Again, with hogs 

 or sheep the product is not as high, and we could not make an arbitrary 

 figure that would cover all this. 



Mr. NEVILLE. There was about 4,000,000 pounds sold in Nebraska 

 last year. 



Mr. HAKE. Yes; sir. 



Mr. NEVILLE. As I understand the statistics, between three and four 

 millions. And it was sold at as low as 15 cents a pound oleomar- 

 garine. 



Mr. HAKE. I think so. I never bought any of it. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Was it colored? 



Mr. HAKE. I think it was, yes. I never saw any of it. 



Mr. NEVILLE. In imitation of butter? 



Mr. HAKE. I think it was colored. I know it is colored. 



Mr. NEVILLE. Now, is it not true that there is a law in Nebraska 

 which prohibits this coloring of butter? 



Mr. HAKE. There is a law which prohibits its sale, and permitting it 

 to be manufactured and shipped to other States. Under the interstate- 

 commerce regulations other States enjoy the same privileges and we 

 simply deprive our citizens of the privilege of manufacturing it. But 

 the other States manufacture it and ship it to us. That is the result. 



Mr. DAHLE. Any State may send out what it manufactures 



Mr. NEVILLE. Yes ; sir. 



Mr. DAHLE (continuing). But under the law of Nebraska it is pro- 

 hibited? 



The CHAIRMAN. I would suggest that that matter of the law will 

 speak for itself. 



Mr. NEVILLE. My question was intended to bring out a fact with 

 reierence to it. He was simply quoting the prices and the difference 

 in prices between butter and oleomargarine. I simply wanted to show 

 that all of it sold there is in violation of the law, and the plea is that 

 it must be continued to be sold in violation of law. 



The CHAIRMAN. We will go over that matter in the committee. 



Mr. NEVILLE. These people who have written letters here, how were 

 they notified as to the contents of this bill? 



Mr. HAKE. It has been a matter of consideration with our people, 

 and has been agitated. 



Mr. NEVILLE. You sent some communications? 



Mr. HAKE. Yes; we have gotten the business up. 



Mr. NEVILLE. I notice that in each one of these letters I have 

 received letters from one of these gentlemen you refer to, and also from 

 John Bradt. You know him? 



Mr. HAKE. Yes, sir. 



Mr. NEVILLE (continuing). And 1 notice that in these letters I have 

 received, and also those you have read here, they simply speak of this 

 as a tax upon oleomargarine of 10 cents. 



Mr. HAKE. Ten cents a pound? 



(*164) 



