The Butter Fraud Crackdown
State officials threaten public exposure for wholesalers passing off cheap eastern butter as premium Washington creamery product.
State Dairy Commissioner McDonald yesterday notified the wholesale dealers in Seattle, who have been making it a common practice to ship in eastern butter and sell to the trade under brands of Washington creamery, that prompt action to insure public denunciation through the means of the press would be taken against those who persist in continuing it. It is believed that the wholesalers will recognize that the position taken by Mr. McDonald is correct and accept his suggestions. The injustice being done to the dairy interests of this state is too flagrant to be allowed to continue, as it is unfair in its competition, misleading and demoralizing to legitimate prices.
“The injustice being done to the dairy interests of this state is too flagrant to be allowed to continue.”
The struggle to protect local agricultural branding from deceptive imports remains a core issue in Washington's food economy. Today's 'Washington Grown' certification programs are the direct descendants of these early efforts to prevent wholesalers from undermining local producers through mislabeling.
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