34 



ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Tax on Oleomargarine 



MR. J. C. HARRIS, OWATONNA, MINN. 



I will simply emphasize a few remarks that the President has made. 



In the address of your Presi dent on the work of the National Dairy 

 CTnion, Mr. Gurler made the statement that we had received about $10,- 

 -€00. It is a fact that we have received from membership fees and con- 

 tributions about $12,000, and as w e are carrying an a campaign of eidiuca- 

 tion we have spent a large amount of this mqney. I might state there are 

 members in numbers of about 20,000 who have become members and paid 

 iheir fee of fifty cents, and distributed literature when sent them and cir- 

 culars when called upon to do so. In a very few days we will call upon 

 those 20,000, or rather nearly 30,000, and also a list of 20,000 names which 

 lias been furnished us 'by users of separators; we are going to furnish 

 them, with a petition and request them to write to their members of Con- 

 gress and urge the passage of this bill taxing oleomargarine when color- 

 ed to represent butter ten cents per pound. 



At a meeting at the Sherman House last Saturday, through theadvic© 

 ■of Congressman Tawney of Minnesota, who has introduced the bill 

 l)lacing a tax on colored oleomargarine of ten cents per pound, we have 

 practically decided to center our forces on the Grout bill. He thought 

 it would be better to pass the Grout bill than any other. 



We feel more encouraged today than we have at any other time. Our 

 forces are all at work. We have money enough at present, and there is 

 no doubt but that the dairymen of this State will contribute to the fight- 

 ing of this question to the end. 



Our first mailing fc)f letters Wjill cost us about $1,500.00; in fact, I pre- 

 sume it will cost $3,000.00 for postage alone, just showing what a con- 

 isiderable amount of money it takes to carry on this fight. 



