OLEOMARGARINE. 761 



Commissioner WILSON. 1 should not vary it much from what you 

 have stated. 



Eepresentative HAUGBN. Eight cents a pound! 



Commissioner WILSON. Yes; I think so. 



Eepresentative HAUGEN. Now, then, what is creamery butter selling 

 for in the markets, or what has been its average cost during the past 

 year? 



Commissioner WILSON. I do not know what the average cost of but- 

 ter would be ; possibly 25 cents. 



Eepresentative HAUGEN. The proposed tax is 10 cents, which, added 

 to the 8 cents per pound, would be 18 cents! 



Commissioner WILSON. Yes. 



Eepreseutative HAUGEN. It is claimed that oleomargarine is as 

 wholesome and as good an article as butter, and that it is worth as much, 

 and sells for as much. Now, then, 10 and 8 are 18, representing the cost 

 price of oleomargarine, according to those figures, while the average 

 price of butter is put at 25 cents. How do you arrive at the conclu- 

 sion, from those figures, that this act would practically drive the oleo- 

 margarine manufacturers out of business? 



Commissioner WILSON. In the first place, you rob it of its pleasant 

 aspect to the eye. You do not like to buy lardy-looking stuff for your 

 table. It would be a worse badge upon it than to stamp the word 

 "Oleomargarine" right on it, if it were colored. 



Eepresentative HAUGEN. Yes; but under this bill the paying of the 

 10 per- cent tax would permit the manufacturers to color their product 

 and make it an imitation of butter, and then it would cost only 18 cents 

 per pound, while you place the cost price of butter at 25 cents. That 

 leaves a difference of 7 cents per pound in the price of the two commodi- 

 ties. 



Commissioner WILSON. Well, I do not know about the average cost 

 of butter ; I do not want to undertake to speak definitely on that point, 

 because I am not acquainted with it. 



Eepresentative WILLIAMS. Mr. Commissioner, in the price of oleo- 

 margarine which you have given, have you included the various taxes 

 and licenses which may be paid along the line in order to comply with 

 the laws governing its sale, or have you simply given the cost of manu- 

 facture? 



Commissioner WILSON. It is simply the cost of manufacture which 

 has been referred to, as I understand the special taxes and the pound 

 tax. The special taxes, together with the pound tax, I presume add 

 about 50 per cent to the cost of production, I should say. There are 

 7,000 dealers in the United States at $48 each. 



Eepresentative WILLIAMS. Eetail dealers? 



Commissioner WILSON. Yes. 



Eepresentative WILLIAMS. Then there are the wholesale licenses? 



Commissioner WILSON. The wholesale license fee is $480, and there 

 are 300 or 400 wholesale dealers. 



Eepresentative WILLIAMS. And the various States have legislation 

 on the point, too, have they not? 



Commissioner WILSON. And then there are the manufacturers, 25 or 

 30 of them, who pay $600 each. 



Eepresentative HAUGEN. How many wholesale dealers are there? 



Commissioner WILSON. I would not like to say; I have not the exact 

 figures in my mind. There are a good many. 



Eepreseutative HENRY. Mr. Commissioner, the reduction of the tax 

 proposed by the bill this committee has been considering, from 2 cents 



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