188 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Mr. Shilling: — The capacity of mine was 160 ton 3, the other 

 100 and the other over 200 tons. 



Now I must leave this subject because I have only a limited 

 amount of time to talk to you about the National Dairy Union, 

 and, as the President stated when he paved the way for me, I 

 am glad the situation has been told you by other than myself. 

 The fact is I consider that the legislative part, the protection 

 being offered the dairymen today, is really the most serious 

 question confronting us as dairymen. It does not seem neces- 

 sary for me to give you any history of this National Dairy Union ; 

 it seems to me that must be generally known to you. I am only 

 going to make a few statements in regard to what has been 

 accomplished. 



This organization was formed six years ago, the object 

 being to curtail the output of a substitute on the market which 

 was taking the place of butter. When I tell you that this 

 product had grown to the enormous amount of 126,000,000 

 pounds, which at that time was equal to one quarter of the output 

 of butter in the United States, you must know the situation was 

 serious, and had nothing been done to curl) the output of this 

 product I do not believe there would have been a dairy associa- 

 tion in Iowa or Illinois. I believe were it not for the work of 

 this organization, which has been backed by you dairymen and 

 to you the credit is due, we would all be out of the business. 

 When you take into consideration that the material from which 

 they manufacture this unlawful product is of unlimited quantity 

 and can be produced at 7 cents per pound at a profit, you can 

 see where the dairymen would be if nothing had been done to 

 stop the sale. 



The National Dairy Union secured a law which placed the 

 sale of this article under the supervision of the Internal Revenue 

 Department. I want to say to you that we have not now and 

 never have had any quarrel with the legitimate manufacture and 

 dealer in oleomargarine. I will go further than that, I will go 

 so far as to say that their business is just as legitimate and hon- 

 orable as ours, so long as they conduct it so, but we do say they 



