Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 December 1900 — GROWTH OF THE OLEO BUSINESS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

GROWTH OF THE OLEO BUSINESS

During the Year 104,000,000 Pounds Were Sot! in the United states. More than 5,000.000 farmers signed petitions asking that the" Grout bill governing the sale of oleomargarine be passed by Congress, while the makers of imitation butter, who are both rich and influential, did their best to defeat it. As indicating the enormous growth of the oleomargarine business in the last few years it is stated that during the last year 104,000,000 pounds of “oleo” were sold in the United States, much of it under false pretenses ns genuine butter. This was a jump of 25,000,000 pounds over the sales of the previous year. During the last year also the number of oleomargarine factories iu the United States has increased from seventeen to twentysix. In thirty-two States of the Union there are now iu existence laws which absolutely prohibit the * manufacture of oleomargarine colored to imitate butter. Notwithstanding these laws, however, no less than 86,(XX),090 pounds of the imitation butter were sold iu the States referred to during the last year. The Grout bill uiak("s tlie tax on oleomargarine a part of the internal revenue tax of the Federal government. Where the State laws are uot enforced it is safe to say that the Federal statute would be, as the tax would be collected at the factory. Under the provisions of the Grout bill it is not proposed to hinder or interfere with the sale of "oleo” when offered

on its own merits nnd without nny attempt to deceive people into thinking they are buying butter. With this idea in view the present tax of two cents a pound which is collected on all oleomargariue is to be reduced to one-quarter of a cent a pound 011 oleomargarine which is put on the market iu its uncolored and natural condition. Ou oleomargarine which is artificially colored yellow.to imitate butter the tax is to be ruined, on the other baud, to ten cents a pound. This provision will make it unprofitable for manufacturers nnd dealers to sell colored oleomargnrlno as butter, which is a fraud ou the consumer aud ou the farmer aud dairyman as well.

GROWTH OF OLEO BUSINESS.