No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 



333 



The following is a list of the number of cases entered in 

 court and also the number of convictions secured in the 

 years 1900-1904 inclusive : — 



Convictions. 



1900, .... 



1901, .... 



1902, .... 



1903, .... 



1904, .... 

 Totals . 

 Average convictions, 



Oleomargarine . 



The oleomargarine situation is always a matter of public 

 interest. Considered on its merits, oleomargarine is one 

 thing; as a counterfeit of butter, it is quite another. As 

 showing the effect of the United States law of 1902, the fol- 

 lowing figures are of interest. The total output of oleomar- 

 garine in the United States for the year ending June 30, 

 1902, was 126,316,472 pounds ; while that for the year 

 ending June 30, 1904, was 48,071,480 pounds. Of this lat- 

 ter amount, only 1,639,102 pounds paid the ten-cent tax 

 as colored goods. As showing the combined effect of the 

 United States law and the enforcement of the State laws, the 

 whole number of licenses as per last year's report was 352 ; 

 this year 151, — a falling off of 201 ; a shrinkage of 76 -|- per 

 cent in the number of " colored " and of 55 — percent in the 

 number of " uncolored" licenses. 



Notwithstanding this decrease, and the fact that oleomar- 

 garine can be sold uncolored under certain restrictions in 

 this State, then; have been attempts to violate the laws, both 

 State and national. Three Rhode Island factories tried this 

 in the early part of the year. Some of our choniists sue- 



