284 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



agents outright in denying that butter was called for, or else 

 by claiming that he did not understand, and supposed butter- 

 ine was called for. In such cases the judge frequently was 

 not convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that the offence 

 charged had been proved. This year we have brought no 

 cases under that statute, although in nine instances the oleo 

 was sold as and for butter ; but the complaint made charged 

 that the defendant did sell, expose for sale, or have in his 

 possession with intent to sell — 



a certain quantity, to wit, one pound of a certain product commonly 

 called oleomargarine, made partly out of an oleaginous substance 

 not produced from unadulterated milk or cream from the same, and 

 that said product was then and there in imitation of yellow butter 

 produced from pure unadulterated milk or cream of the same. 



The evidence in this case is more easily secured, and less 

 easily contradicted. As a result, we have not lost one of 

 these cases. Of the two cases lost, one was for obstructing 

 an officer, in which case our evidence was weak. The other 

 was where oleomargarine had been served for butter in a caf6 

 connected with a hotel. On the trial of the case the propri- 

 etor of the hotel swore that he had leased the cafe, and was not 

 responsible for its management. Although having no con- 

 nection with this case, we were much interested in learning, 

 a few weeks after, that the landlord's license to sell intox- 

 icating liquors had been taken from him for violating the 

 provisions of the liquor law. 



The great source of our trouble continues to be the State 

 of Rhode Island, which is behind the other New England 

 States in pure-food legislation. The whole system of ped- 

 dlers and of selling on orders has its headquarters in Rhode 

 Island. In one case the court decided that selling on orders 

 is an evasion of the law, and the party was convicted. The 

 defence in this case introduced the following : — 



Dear Sir : — You are hereby requested to act as m}' agent in 

 getting and delivering to me the following merchandise : — 



Number 



Date 



Signature 



Number of tub Vermont. 



