Dairymen Demand a Brand on Every Pound of Butter
Washington's creamery men move to outlaw rebranded Eastern butter and process butter sold as the real thing — and a leading dealer offers to help write the bill.
Secretary Woll read the following communication from John B. Agen, one of the most prominent dealers in dairy products in the state. Its introduction thus early forestalled all discussion of the question of substitution of Eastern goods as home products, as it showed that the dealers were ready to co-operate with the dairymen in securing proper legislation to control same, and the matter was not afterward touched upon during the meeting:
"I would respectfully ask that a committee be appointed to draw up a bill which will prevent process or renovated butter being sold in this state without being branded as such. Also to establish a state brand for all creamery butter made in Washington, so as to prevent any butter not produced in Washington being sold as such. The fine for violation of this law should be made so large that there will be no chance of hurting the dairy industry of this state by rewrapping or rebranding butter made elsewhere."
Dairy Commissioner McDonald recommended the appointment of a committee to consider dairy legislation. The chair appointed E. A. McDonald, J. B. Agen, dealer in dairy products; Guy McL. Richards, creamery man; H. L. Blanchard, dairyman; G. M. Brown, milk dealer. The appointments covered all branches of dairy interests.
Earlier in the session the speaker had declared: "As dairymen we do not ask any favors in legislation. But we demand justice. Against the manufacture [of process butter] also in its natural color or in such form as will advise the consumer of its true character we utter no complaint, but when it is colored in imitation of yellow butter, intent to deceive the consumer and sold as butter, we invoke the good offices of the legislature and judiciary in driving it out of the markets. The decision of the supreme court of the United States is in our favor on this question. Let the state legislation be made in conformity with this decision, and to this end the N. D. U. should receive substantial support and words of encouragement."
“The fine for violation of this law should be made so large that there will be no chance of hurting the dairy industry of this state by rewrapping or rebranding butter made elsewhere.”
A state brand to stop out-of-state butter being passed off as local, and stiff fines against rebranding, is a 19th-century version of today's 'Made in Washington' labeling fights and country-of-origin rules. The dairymen's demand for 'justice, not favors' from the legislature is the same argument farm groups make now over imitation products and deceptive packaging.
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