No. 4.] REPORT OF DAIRY BUREAU. 



287 



no laws regulating the sale of imitation butter, oleomar- 

 garine had been sold as butter, deceptively, to an amount 

 equalling one per cent of the above consumption, the 

 amount would be 480,980 pounds. We think that this 

 assumption is a moderate one, from what we know of the 

 history of the oleomargarine business, both before and after 

 the passage of the laws, and the tendency to sell the mixture 

 dishonestly. The average wholesale price of fresh-made 

 extra creamery butter has been, during each month for the 

 year, compared with two preceding years : — 



If an amount of oleomargarine equal to one per cent of 

 the sales of butter had been sold dishonestly, this amount at 

 20 cents per pound would equal $96,196 to the credit of the 

 law and its enforcement, leaving out of the account the but- 

 ter supplied from other commercial centres in the State, like 

 Worcester and Springfield. This is considering only the 

 commercial side of the case, and not recognizing the fraud 

 on the consumer. This fact in itself ought to be a vindica- 

 tion of the law and a proof of its economy. 



