360 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



First two years, No convictions. 



Average convictions per year for first seven years 



after prosecutions were l^egnn, .... 50 — 

 Average convictions per year for the next three 



years, 200 



Convictions this year, 272 



Average convictions per year since prosecutions 



were begun by Bureau, Ill — 



Oleomargarine . 



Prior to the passage of the national law which went into 

 effect eTuly 1, 1902, and practically legislated oleomargarine 

 containing foreign coloring matter out of our local markets, 

 because of the tax of 10 cents per pound imposed, the profit 

 of selling oleomargarine as and for butter was so great that 

 violations of the Massachusetts anti-color law were frequent. 

 The work of the agents of the Bureau in those days was very 

 largely of a detective nature, months sometimes being con- 

 sumed in working up cases against pedlers and others who 

 were persisting in violating the law. Now all is changed. 

 But few of the old stores, where the law was formerly vio- 

 lated, remain in the same hands, and a large number of the 

 pedlers have gone out of business, rarelj^ showing signs of 

 prosperity as a result of money made from the illegitimate 

 traffic. At the present time most of the goods are on sale by 

 reputable grocers, are uncolored, and in the main, although 

 by no means always, sold according to law ; but the sales 

 are light and the profits small. It seems to us that this 

 reversal of oleomargarine interests has been brousfht about 

 in no small degree by the oleomargarine men themselves. 

 Oleomargarine may be clean and wholesome when properly 

 made, and cheap ; but the moment it is sold as and for butter 

 it becomes a fraud, an imposition upon the public, and robs 

 the butter maker of his legitimate market. Hence laws, 

 State and national, have been enacted, until to-day oleomar- 

 garine seems to be forced back upon its own merits : and, 

 unless the present laws are upset by supreme court decisions, 

 it will have to remain there, winning whatever favor it can 

 upon merit alone. This is as it should be. But it has not 

 been brousfht about Avithout a struijforle. 



~ CO 



Early in the year Judge Bishop of the superior court in 



