240 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



l)eing State officers, they can, to catch a lawbreaker, follow 

 an offending milk peddler beyond the city lines, if necessary,. 



The Anti-color Law. 



Our work in enforcing the oleomargarine laws has been 

 curtailed by proceedings in the higher courts relative to the 

 constitutionality of chapter 58, Acts of 1891. This is the 

 law which prohibits the sale of any imitation of yellow but- 

 ter, and which our State supreme court has once declared 

 constitutional. To the oleomargarine interest this law is the 

 most obnoxious of all the statutes relative to imitation but- 

 ter, and is fought by them with the utmost persistency. As 

 soon as the decision of the supreme court was rendered, the 

 enforcement of the law was entered upon. An appeal was 

 taken from this State decision to the United States supreme 

 court, and it was contended that this act rendered the State 

 law inoperative, pending the decision at Washington. But, 

 as those entrusted Avitli the enforcement of the law held an 

 opposite view, an attempt was made to secure an injunction 

 in the United States circuit court, to restrain the Boston milk 

 inspector from acting under this statute. Attorney-General 

 Pillsbury appeared for the Commonwealth, arguing that such 

 interference by a circuit court of the United States is for- 

 bidden by the constitution and the laws of the United States. 



The petition for an injunction was never granted ; but, as 

 a new appeal was taken to the State supreme court, the 

 status of the law continued in such doubt that no cases have 

 been l^rought under it for several months. In the case now 

 before the State supreme court the defendants raised seven- 

 teen points on which they wished the judge to rule and 

 instruct the jury. The judge refused, but did rule on three 

 other points, to all of which exception was taken. 



Detective axd Court AYork. 

 In spite of the principal law being " tied up," much work 

 has been done, which may be statistically summarized as 

 follows : — 



Stores inspected, 382 



Samples taken, 113 



Cases entered in court, 48 



