842 OLEOMARGARINE. 



The South St. Paul Live Stock Exchange objects to the measure 

 on the following grounds, as shown by resolutions printed on page 57: 



The butter fat of an average beef animal for the purpose of manufacturing oleo- 

 margarine is worth from $3 to $4 per head more than before the advent of oleomar- 

 garine. This has increased the value of the beef steer, and consequently to the profit 

 of the producer. 



To legislate this article of commerce out of existence, as the passage of this law 

 would surely do, would compel slaughterers to use this fat for tallow and depreciate 

 the market value of beef cattle of this country $3 to $4 per head, which would entail 

 a loss on the producer of this country of millions and millions of dollars. 



And yet nobody has been able to successfully dispute the statement 

 made by Hon. S. C. Bassett, president of the board of agriculture of 

 Nebraska, given on page 451, in which he gives facts and figures show- 

 ing the fears of the live stock men and their opposition is without 

 foundation. The statement follows: 



The National Live Stock Association has adopted resolutions opposing the passage 

 of this measure, and a representative of the association has appeared before this com- 

 mittee and attempted to show by statistics and otherwise that this proposed law 

 would very materially lessen the value of all live stock marketed. 



On December 17 last, by means of the Associated Press dispatches, there was broad- 

 casted over the country the following statement, purporting to come from Mr. John 

 W. Springer, president of the National Live Stock Association. It is dated at Den- 

 ver, Colo., and is as follows: 



"The stockmen of the West are all interested in this bill," said Mr. Springer to-day, 

 "and so are all manufacturers. If such a measure as this can become law no indus- 

 try in the country is safe. If it should become a law and take effect it means simply 

 that the stockmen of the West will lose from $3 to $4 on every iteer they market. 

 We also claim that the only people directly interested in the passage of this law ia 

 the butter trust." 



A neighbor of mine who annually feeds large numbers of cattle for market, after 

 reading this statement, said to me: "If that statement be true I certainly am opposed 

 to your Grout bill." 



Gentlemen of the committee, as I understand this matter, this statement is not 

 true, and neither by statistics nor otherwise can it be shown to be true. Statistics 

 published by the United States Department of Agriculture for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1899, show that at 41 packing centers the number of cattle inspected before 

 slaughter was 4,654,842. Outside of those inspected by the Department it is esti- 

 mated that enough more were slaughtered to make the aggregate number slaughtered 

 for the year, 5,000,000 head. 



The report of the Secretary of the Treasury of the United States to Congress in 

 May last shows that in all the 83,000,000 pounds of oleomargarine manufactured in 

 this country last year there were but 24,491,769 pounds of oleo oil used. This at 9 

 cents per pound has a value of $2,204,259, which sum divided among the 5,000,000 

 head of cattle who produced this oleo oil makes an average of 44 cents per head. 



In some cases this product is priced at 10 cents per pound, but I think that is unjust 

 from a producer's standpoint, for the reason that at 10 cents a pound oleo oil is a 

 manufactured product into which labor, etc., goes, and on which profit is realized, 

 but the man who markets the cattle does not receive 10 cents a pound for it, and I 

 have used the figure 9 cents, which, in my judgment, is a proper estimate. No one 

 believes or for a moment seriously contends that if this oleo product used in the 

 manufacture of oleomargarine could not be so used it would be a total loss, and lessen 

 by the sum of 44 cents the average amount received by the owners of cattle for each 

 animal sold for slaughter. But suppose it needs be sold at the price of other fats -5 

 cents per pound it would mean a mere nominal loss of 20 cents on each animal sold 

 for slaughter, which sum every owner of live stock well knows is hardly given a 

 thought when his stock is being disposed of for slaughter at packing centers. 



Mr. Bassett also showed (p. 452) that of the 43,891,814 head of cat- 

 tle owned in this country 28,825,933 were owned in the States pro- 

 hibiting the sale of yellow oleomargarine, while but 15,065,881 were 

 owned where its sale is permitted. 



And in closing Mr. Bassett said (p. 453): 



I do not wish to discredit the National Live Stock Association before this commit- 

 tee, but in its appearance here it does not represent either the wishes or sentiments of 



