Cortland Farmers' Club Discusses Oleomargarine and Other Subjects

The Cortland News, Friday, March 2, 1883.

Farmers’ Club.

   The regular meeting of the Club was held Saturday, Feb. 2, when Prof. Thurber's paper embracing oleomargarine, anti-monopoly, tariff on salt, etc., was taken up and discussed.

   The address written by Mr. Edwin M. Hulbert [a businessman and principal of the Cortland Door & Window Screen Co.--CC editor], and, on account or that gentleman's absence, read by Mr. B. F. Tillinghast, is as follows:

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Farmers' Club:

   I am no specialist and I cannot hope to interest you as others have, through the valuable papers which have been read to this club. I have been invited, with others, to respond to three subjects.

   I. OLEOMARGARINE.—I am not familiar with the manufacture of artificial butter called "Oleomargarine." I have never seen it manufactured nor examined the material; but have seen the product and have eaten it. I must admit that it is palatable and if, as claimed, it is made from perfectly fresh beef suet, it cannot be otherwise than whole some. But is it all that is claimed? Is it manufactured from good wholesome beef? Is the process of manufacturing harmless? Is the manufacture conducted with cleanliness and is oleomargarine as valuable as the butter from the cow? I think not.

   Statements conflict concerning the quality of the materials used. The manufacturers claim that only the best part of the beef fat is used and that more cleanliness is maintained in their factory than in the average of the private dairies. Others say, that all the reuse fat of animals is used, and that the factories are filthy, etc. Friends of mine, who have visited some of the factories, assure me, that they do not find such statements as to uncleanness true. The committee of the New York Assembly of Public Health, a year ago, reported that 20,000,000 pounds per annum is manufactured in this State, which is equal to one-fifth of the quantity of dairy butter made. Not over 10 per cent was exported, the balance being consumed in New York city, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and in New England manufacturing towns; besides being shipped to the Southern States. It is now sold at the average price of 16 cents wholesale, and no doubt by the manufacturers and jobbers, for what it is, but grocerymen and retail dealers can readily sell it for butter in place of the genuine article. It is stated that more artificial than natural butter is consumed in New York city, and no doubt it is purchased largely in cities and many manufacturing towns, by restaurant, boarding-house and hotel keepers.

   In the past few years, the taste of the people has changed and now they want fresh made butter, and prefer it by odds. I do not think that dairymen who make a strictly fine article of butter and sell it within a reasonable time, need ever fear oleomargarine or any kind of artificial butter. There always more or less scarcity of fine butter and it commands a first-class price. But the markets are constantly crowded with goods of an inferior quality, and here is where oleomargarine comes in to the injury or the American dairymen. It costs as much to make poor butter as it does fine, and yet our markets are burdened every season with inferior butter—too poor to sell at home and has to be shipped to a foreign market at a great loss. But a small percentage of our dairymen in Cortland county make at the present time the desired quality. It you wish to cripple all kinds of artificial butter and improve your own situation, dairymen must make only an article of butter that is strictly A No. 1 in quality, and then sell it in a reasonable time, while it is fresh and sweet.

   I have perhaps said too much upon this subject, but having never handled, bought or sold, nor been interested in any manufactured butter of any kind whatsoever, and having always done everything in my power to stop the trade in it, has given me the assurance to speak plainly in regard to the average quality of Cortland butter. I see no good reason why Delaware and other counties should excel us, but such is the fact.

   In conclusion, I again urge upon dairymen the necessity of making only gilt edge butter and the importance of selling before it becomes old in flavor.

   II. ANTI-MONOPOLY.—There is at the present time a great hue-and-cry against monopolies, and a very few individual leaders are making an effort to organize a new political party. The American people hate and detest monopolies of every kind. But is there any necessity of organizing a third political party, when we have two such great antagonistic parties as the Democratic and Republican, from which to choose? There is no doubt but that each party is afraid of the "anti-monopoly” vote, and each, therefore, hesitates to take the responsibility of doing what is plainly right and reasonable.

   This fear no doubt accounts for the recent confirmation of a certain railroad commissioner. Instead, Senators had better consider the vote of honest and sensible constituents. The bill itself is undoubtedly just and right, but why not fight and denounce all monopolies as well as railroads and telegraph companies; which have conferred great benefits upon the States which they traverse, and which, while profitable to the stockholders, have by steadily declining rates peopled new territories, opened millions of acres of land, benefited everybody and created hundreds of millions of wealth. The telegraph was not a success, either financially or as a cheap, swift and reliable means of communication, until all the systems were combined under the name of the Western Union Telegraph Company.

   Is not oleomargarine a monopoly?  At the recent convention of dairymen held here in Cortland, Mr. Thurber, in reply to a question from Mr. Munson, admitted that “the oleomargarine patent to a monopoly in a measure," and acknowledged that "his firm is acting as sales agents of one of the largest factories.''

   Now, gentlemen, what is there besides Thurber to the present anti-monopoly party? Is he “real" or is he a “humbug," only advertising his wares, from the sale of which his firm is making a fortune? He alone is a monopolist who possesses the power to furnish what the people require at lower rates than any one else can, and, although that power may work injury to a few individuals who may he rivals in the same line of business, it confers great benefits on the people at large.

   III. TARIFF, ON SALT.—I am not inclined to be a "free trader." What I advocate is not "absolute free trade" but it is a tariff framed for "revenue only." In all, fifty millions of people inhabit this country—all of whom are consumers of the manufactured goods which less than three millions of them are engaged in manufacturing. A tariff tax which increases the cost of manufactured goods is thus a tax upon 94 per cent of the people for the benefit of the remaining 6 per cent. Protection means that the people of this country must not use their discretion where to buy their goods, and what prices they must pay for them. Protection makes a few individuals who have monopolies richer, while it does not increase the wages of the men employed by them. Wages are regulated by the supply and the demand. A heavy tax on imports rests ten times heavier on the farmer and the mechanic, than it does on the American manufacturer, who, through politicians, are responsible for keeping up a very high tariff. The profits of protection go to the employers only.

   The tariff on salt is 36 per cent. This should in whole or in part be abolished. As it is not an article of luxury, but one of necessity, the tariff should, in my opinion, be taken off. If the money taken out of the pockets of farmers by these duties went into the United States treasury, the taxation might be more patiently endured. But the money which might otherwise be expended for the benefit of the farmer, is by the tariff siphoned out of the farmer's pocket into the pockets of a lot of manufacturing nabobs.

   Thus, "Peter, the farmer, is robbed to buy pictures and carriages for Paul, the manufacturer." I agree with Mr. Thurber when he said "that it is not safe to leave the correction of the tariff to manufacturers, because they would get it too high, while the free traders would get it too low." I think there must be a medium ground. The good of the whole county should be considered, and not a few manufacturers. Gentlemen, I have finished.

E. M. HULBERT.

   [An address was delivered by Hon. D. E. Whitmore, which will be published

next week.]

   A vote of thanks was moved Messrs. Whitmore and Hulbert and they were made honorary members for the year.

   Mr. Tillinghast looked upon the railroads as monopolists and thought, the people gouged by both them and men of Mr. Thurber's stamp, who, although doing a good work in fighting one monopoly, yet were themselves monopolists in another line. It is all right that this oleomargarine, butterine and similar imitations of butter should be sold so long as they are sold for what they are and not for genuine butter.

   Mr. Whitmore did not consider the railroads in exactly the light of monopolies, for competition among different lines prevented it, and although combining to raise their profits after a long competition, their rates are not exorbitant. Although they may overreach sometimes yet no community has suffered by combination.

   Mr. Tillinghast thought that, while they could not be blamed for it, they were not running the railroads for the people but to put money into their own pockets.

   Mr. Rowley, who recently saw some butterine in Philadelphia, said that the only way in which it could be detected was that the lard in it would not dissolve on the tongue. The store in which he tested sold large quantities of butterine to the hotels. He read a communication from Hon. Josiah Shull, Secretary of the State Dairymen's Association, Ilion, N. Y., saying that upon application their annual report would be furnished farmers' clubs and literary societies free, alt others 25 cents per copy.

   Mr. Whitmore said that when we stopped labor we stopped wealth, and when a man changed raw into useful material he produced wealth. The matter of protection is instrumental in increasing the wealth of the country.

   Mr. Tillinghast thought that the country had never been prosperous when there was a low tariff. In order to successfully compete with oleomargarine, farmers should make better butter and it is as important that a man be a good marketer as well as a good manufacturer. If you find your New York dealer to be honest, send him your butter. There are two frauds to contend with in sending there: false returns and false weights.

   Mr. Rice thought that as farmers they had no right to find fault if a man makes the butter imitations and sells them for what they are. Whenever a substitute for anything was proposed it was strongly opposed. When a substitute is produced at less cost than the old it is an improvement.

   Mr. Rowley declared himself a protectionist, for the laborer of this country could not live on the wages received by those of Europe, and a tariff in this country for protection was necessary.

   Messrs. Weatherwax and Wooster agreed with Mr. Tillinghast that the thing for farmers to do was to make better butter, and the former thought a better price could be obtained by putting it up in a more attractive form.

   In reply to a question by Mr. Rice as to whether there was any salt produced in this country that was fit to use in making butter, Messrs. Wooster and Rowley thought there was.

   Mr. Whitmore said that the following is the order in which county butter is considered in New York: Delaware, Chenango, Cortland. The past year the butter in Cortland county, especially tabs, was inferior. It has been his experience that the majority of commission merchants were honest and that they would sell to as good advantage as possible.

   The subject tor discussion at the next meeting, March 10, is "Soiling,'' with addresses by A. D. Blodgett and A. P. Rowley.

   The meetings of the Club are of late fully attended, and a change to a larger room will soon be necessary to accommodate the increasing attendance. The present membership of the Club is thirty-five.

STOCK AND UTENSILS AT AUCTION.

   As administrator of the estate of James McNish, late of Cortlandville, deceased, Mr. A. Leroy Cole will sell at auction, on the McNish farm, about three miles west of the village, on Wednesday, March 7, inst., commencing at 10 o'clock A. M., the following property: Eight dairy cows, one two-year old bull, one two-year old heifer, six yearlings, one pair mares,, one hog, one set of harness, one top buggy, one cutter, and a general variety of farm utensils. Cash down will be required on all sums under ten dollars; over that amount, credit for six months with notes approved and bearing interest will be given.

Cortland, March 1, 1883.

A. L. Cole, Administrator.

O. Glover, Auctioneer.

Francis Beattie Thurber: http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/g/a/r/Florence-T-Gargaro/BOOK-0001/0002-0001.html