794 OLEOMARGARINE. 



conceived the idea of giving to his product a uniform color, and thereby 

 rendering it more pleasing to the eye by the use of a harmless coloring. 

 The creameries throughout the country, taking advantage of the idea 

 suggested, adopted the same color as their standard. They found it 

 improved the appearance of butter as well as of oleomargarine. Now 

 these same creameries come before Congress and ask to have a law 

 enacted to force the manufacturer of oleomargarine to abolish the use 

 of coloring, claiming that they have the exclusive right to its use. 

 A prominent dairy authority writes : 



The manufacture of oleomargarine is as legitimate as that of butter. It sup- 

 presses the lower grades of butter, and makes the finer butter more sought after. 

 There is nothing for the dairyman to fear in it; his safety can be insured by improv- 

 ing the quality of his butter. The trade in oleomargarine might safely be left to 

 itself. It is a blessing to the community to supply it, at a low price, a clean, sweet 

 substitute for costly butter. 



It will be seen that there are yet some people in the butter business 

 who are willing to admit that the manufacture and sale of oleomarga- 

 rine is legitimate, and a separate and distinct business, and not main- 

 tained for the purpose of antagonizing the dairy interests of the 

 country. 



We make oleomargarine because the people demand it. We color it 

 yellow because it has always been sold that way. 



Gentlemen, do you believe it would be right to say to the consumers 

 of this country, "In future you will have to take your oleomargarine 

 white, or buy butter?" Do you think, in justice to the oleomargarine 

 manufacturers, that Congress should destroy their business (which has 

 taken years of labor and thousands of dollars to establish) by forcing 

 them to place their product on the market in an unsightly and unsal- 

 able form 1 



People who want butter should, by all means, have it. People who 

 buy oleomargarine because they know it is good, should not be com- 

 pelled to accept it in a distasteful form or go without. 



Butter and oleomargarine both occupy conspicuous places when con- 

 sidering the demands of the consumers of this country, and neither 

 should be discriminated against for the sake of the other, but they 

 should be placed on an equal basis and sold on their merits. 



The creamery interests have no more right to say we shall not color 

 oleomargarine than we have to say they shall not color butter. 



It has been said that if Congress forbids the coloring of oleomarga- 

 rine it should also forbid the coloring of butter. This is wrong. Con- 

 gress should not forbid the coloring of either, but should encourage 

 the coloring of these products, in order to enhance the value and 

 sightliness of both. 



Again, it has been claimed that our packages are in imitation of 

 those used for butter. Our packages consist of more than 20 dif- 

 ferent styles against two standard butter packages, viz, solid packed 

 tubs and 1-pound square prints or bricks. The latter style of pack- 

 age originated with the oleomargarine manufacturers, and has been 

 adopted by the creameries. 



Sixty per cent of our production goes on the market in packages 

 known as rolls and prints, which are wrapped in printed parchment 

 paper, as per samples, which we herewith respectfully submit to your 

 honorable body for inspection. 



(Mr. Lavery at this point exhibited to the committee samples of 

 wrappers for packages of oleomargarine.) 



Mr. LAVERY. You will notice, gentlemen, that the word "oleomar- 

 garine" is plainly printed on each of those wrappers in letters the size 



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