ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 173 



Mr. Coolidge: This will help clear up the other question. Provided 

 this law is passed and goes into effect that oleomargarine is taxed if 

 colored ten cents a pound, at what price can it be sold to the consumer 

 and make a reasonable profit for the manufacturer and the middleman?' 



A. The lowest price at which the best grade of oleomargarine at the 

 present time can be made is 16 cents per pound, while adding 8 cents it- 

 would make it 24 cents, which v/ould be the lowest price at which the- 

 retailer could purchase it, and he must add his profit to that. 



Q. After the tax goes on? 



A. Yes sir. That is oleomargarine made in the guise of butter. If 

 they want to make oleomargarine and leave out that little speck of 

 color and sell oleomargarine on its own merit— why make such a fuss 

 about half an ounce of color. If they leave out that little speck of color 

 they can sell it for ten cents a pound less. 



Mr. Conklin: Why not leave the color out of the butter? 



A. That is a question often brought up by people who have not- 

 investigated the question and thought of it as thoroughly as they might. 

 Oleomargarine has color put into it, not to make it any better, not to 

 make it uniform, not for any of these purposes, but simply to make it 

 look like butter. Butter has color put into it, not to make it better or look: 

 like anything else, but color is put in butter simply to keep it the same 

 color all the time. Just the same as a piece of dress goods. The color 

 is put into it to make it uniforri through and through. Take cotton. 

 You do not color it to look like wool, but just to have it a uniform 

 color. It is the same with butter. You do no one an injustice when 

 you take butter, that varies in color in the different seasons of the year, . 

 and put in a little innocent color to keep it the same color all the year 

 round, it is simply a matter of taste, which is not true of oleomargarine. 



Q. If the color was left out of butter, how much less would it be on 

 the Elgin market? 



A. None. The color used would not lessen or make any difference 

 in the price. The taste of the pec pie is for uniformity, not only in but- 

 ter, but in everything. They get used to having things that way, and!: 



