Vermont 12 per cent. of total solids. 91 per cent. of total solids, not fat. In the months of May and June there must be at least 12 per cent. of total solids. (Laws 1888, No. 108.) In all creameries and cheese factories milk containing 4 per cent. of butter-fat shall be the standard used as a paying basis. (Laws 1894, No. 113.) Wisconsin Milk containing 3 per cent. of fat is merchantable milk, provided it has not been diluted or cream abstracted, and is drawn from healthy cows. (Laws 1889, chap. 425.) Canada (Province of Ontario). All milk containing less than 13 per cent. of total solids, of which 3 per cent. must be chemically dry butter-fat, shall be deemed below the standard required in creameries for butter manufacture. (Vict. 51, chap. 31.) It will be seen from reading the standards above set forth that there are none that are lower than the State of New York, that there are several that are higher. I am of the opinion that we should continue the policy of the State as to the milk standard, and do all we can to bring all the milk sold to the consuming public up to and above it. I am not, however, opposed to any legislation that may in any way aid in bettering the quality of this product; simply give it as my view that it would not be wise to repeal the law that we already have, so as to give a certain class of milk vendors an opportunity to go in the opposite direction. The thing desired, of course, is to have all the milk sold upon the market as pure as when drawn from the cow, and then to so breed as to produce good quality at all times. OLEOMARGARINE. The prohibitions in this State against oleomargarine and kindred products may be found in sections 26, 27, 28 and 29 of chapter 338 of the Laws of 1893. The law as it now stands prohibits the manufacture and sale, or offering for sale, within the State of any oleaginous substance in imitation or semblance of butter, the product of the dairy. The question of the constitutionality of the law has been determined in cases in this State brought by my predecessors, and in the United States Supreme Court in a case brought in Massachusetts, in which the constitutionality was also affirmed. The question involved in the Massachusetts case was whether a law of the State forbidding the manufacture and sale of an oleaginous substance in imitation or semblance of butter was constitutional when the said substance was sold or offered for sale in original importers' packages in which it had been brought into the State. The decision of the court was that a State had the right under the police powers to prohibit a counterfeit, no matter what form it was in, no matter if it was in original importers' packages. That the regulations relative to aforesaid commerce was not intended to aid or abet a counterfeit. Up to the time of the decision of that case, several firms manufacturing oleomargarine outside of the State were sending that commodity into this State in the original package, colored so as to make it in imitation or semblance of butter. When that decision was handed down, my predecessor in office immediately commenced action against the firms that had been openly violating the statute within the State. These cases were brought in accordance with the law through the office of the Attorney-General, who appointed as his representatives the firm of Mullen, Griffin & Walker, of Watertown, N. Y. I am advised that they had frequent consultations with the defendants. Their counsel finally found that it was impossible to reach a settlement, which they had a right to do by provisions of chapter 70 of the Laws of 1895, and they, therefore, brought an action for the recovery of fines incurred in violation of the law. One of the first difficulties presenting itself in the prosecution of the State, was to ascertain the number of packages shipped into and offered for sale within this State, contrary to law, by the defendants. They secured from the Supreme Court of the State of New York an order requiring the express and railroad companies to permit them to examine their books to get the information desired. The attorneys for the defendant procured an order in the same court for the plaintiff to show cause why the aforesaid order should not be vacated. Upon the argument of this question the court refused to vacate the order; whereupon, the attorneys for the defendant appealed from the decision of the judge. Since assuming the duties of the office and giving my personal attention to this work, I find that these people are by no means giving up the idea of securing the markets of this State for their product, which they claim to be a useful "bi-product" in the interest of the poorer classes. Soon after they found they could not sell the goods openly in the original importers' package, they began, as I was fairly informed that they would, to devise ways and means whereby they could place the goods on the markets of this State. It is a fact to be borne in mind that the markets of the State of New York are desired by all dealers who have commodities of any kind to dispose of. It was recently called to my attention that circulars were being sent to public institutions, boarding-houses, restaurants, hotels and boarding schools advertising these spurious products, representing that the goods were nine-tenths pure butter and one-tenth added fats; the claim being made that the product was, therefore, better than butter, as the added fat would keep the product from spoiling. They also advertised that, if it was desired not to have it known that the goods were being used in the institutions, they would send them "under cover." A little work on the part of our agents soon brought out the fact that "under cover" meant, in the majority of cases, that the oleomargarine was put in a tub duly stamped with the government stamp, and that tub placed in another in such a way as to lead the casual observer to think that it was a tub of ordinary butter. We have been busy during the last two months ferreting out the peculiar methods of this last-named scheme to foist these goods upon our market in defiance of our State law. I am not prepared at this time to state just to what extent it is being done, but the amount sold within a short time before we became aware of the method of procedure was not inconsiderable. Following are specimens of communications, that have come to our notice, sent out by different firms: “Gentlemen.— May we ask that the scientific article herewith be given your courteous and unprejudiced attention? "OLEOMARGARINE AND WASTING DISEASES. "The problem of nourishment in wasting diseases is perennial. In most instances the balance between waste and repair is greatly to the credit account of the former, despite all the resources of the medical art. "With the first introduction of cod liver oil, it was believed that the problem of nourishment in wasting diseases was solved. But there is nothing magical about this oil. Save as an easily digested fat, it is valueless. "In every-day life butter is very essential. Its free use by sufferers from wasting diseases is to be encouraged to the utmost in so far as it can be borne. All this seems very simple, but unfortunately an excess of butter diet, even in a healthy organism, is apt to give rise to butyric dyspepsia, and butyric fermentation is set up largely through the presence of a ferment - a residuum left by the buttermilk. "Considering the foregoing, it seems strange that oleomargarine has not been thought of as a palatable and suitable article of diet for those suffering from wasting diseases. It is free from all objections, despite the idle and malicious tales industriously spread by parties interested in securing high prices for inferior and unwholesome products. Were the truth fully realized by all classes, bad butter would find no market, but, unfortunately, the majority of the people have no comprehensive idea as to what oleomargarine practically is. "The resulting product, as a matter of fact, is a better and purer butter than nine-tenths of the dairy product that is mar keted, and one that is far more easily preserved. "There are a large number also who imagine oleomargarine is made from any old scraps of grease, regardless of age or cleanliness, which is quite the reverse of the fact; indeed, a good ‘Oleo.' can only be had by employing the very best and freshest of fat. This artificial butter' is as purely wholesome (and, perhaps, even better as food) as the best dairy or creamery product. Recently Jollies and Winkler, who are the official chemists for the Austrian government, after a very thorough investigation, announced through the columns of the Zeitschrift fur Hygiene,' that the only germs ever present in 'Oleo.' are the varieties common to air and water. Although carefully sought for, tubercular bacilli and other obnoxious bacilli were conspicuously absent. They also found that the dairy product is especially liable to be contaminated, inasmuch as the best process of manufacture failed to eliminate all the lactic acid ferment, and the action of which even salt cannot neutralize, save for a brief period. Products which are of rank character do not emanate from reputable factories (which are invariably connected with beef packing-houses), but from petty manufacturers who accept fats of all kinds that are rejected by the regular oleomargarine makers. It is surprising the amount of fat that a consumptive finds it possible to consume when employing 'Oleo' instead of butter. "Our churns are very busy, and every one of our brands as below, wholesome, uniform and fine flavored. "The usual difference for rolls, prints or small tubs. "If you do not board many, or if further quotations would be an annoyance or unnecessary, will you kindly advise at once. "ARMOUR & COMPANY. Chicago." |