NATIONAL AND STATE DAIRY LAWS.

Special effort has been made to have this collection of laws include all laws now operative which refer to dairy products or their imitations. In each case the names of the acts and the abstract made from them have been submitted to the State officer specially charged with their enforcement, or, where there is no such officer, to the secretary of state, with the request that the statements be corrected if necessary, indorsed, and returned. Replies were received from nearly every State and Territory. In a few cases, where no returns were made by State officers, the matter was referred to a prominent citizen interested in dairying or to an officer of a dairy association. No reply has been received from Nevada or Utah.

In a few instances it has been discovered that laws of a general nature referring indirectly to dairy products, as some public health laws, which were not noted in the statements submitted, are operative, and they have been included. It is not unlikely that some such laws are still missing, as occasionally it is a difficult matter to decide whether or not a general food law should be included when it is known it is not enforced, so far as dairy products are concerned.

In the arrangement of the table and abstracts, the following order has been followed, viz: State dairy officials, milk, butter, cheese, imitation butter, imitation cheese, miscellaneous, pure food. For obvious reasons it is not always possible to arrange the full laws in the same order.

The laws of some States are very bulky, for the reason that old laws are not repealed or entirely replaced by later legislation. For example, there may be a long law on imitation butter and cheese; later a more stringent law on imitation butter is passed, but the old law remains because of the comparatively small part of it which refers to imitation cheese. Or an act is passed which covers practically the same ground as an earlier act, but a comparatively unimportant feature is not included or repealed, and on this account it is necessary to print both laws in full.

It is hoped this compilation and the abbreviated statements will be of use where new dairy legislation is needed as well as where dairy laws now on the statute books are not as generally known as they should be.

R. A. PEARSON, Assistant Chief of Dairy Division.

PRINCIPAL SUBJECTS ON WHICH DAIRY LAWS HAVE BEEN ENACTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA.

ABSTRACTS OF DAIRY LAWS.

In the following abstracts it is aimed to state briefly the principal features of the dairy laws, omitting matters of minor interest, as references to penalties, details of enforcement, disposition of fines, etc. States having dairy commissioners or other officers specially charged with the enforcement of dairy laws, usually give such officers necessary authority for securing evidence, having analyses made, and conducting prosecutions; it is also customary to allow them necessary traveling expenses in addition to the regular salary.

When a subject is followed by the words "No law" it should be understood there is no special law on that subject. It may, however, be covered by a pure-food law, an abstract of which is given in another place.

Milk.

Butter.

UNITED STATES.

Import duty on fresh milk, 2 cents per gallon. Condensed Milk.—Import duty on preserved, condensed, or sterilized milk, 2 cents per pound.

Butter is defined as the food product usually known as butter and made exclusively from milk or cream, with or without salt or color. Import duty, 6 cents per pound.

Cheese.

Cheese is defined as the food product known as cheese and made exclusively from milk or cream, with or without coloring matter. Import duty, 6 cents per pound.

Special taxes are imposed upon manufacturers, Oleomargarine and filled cheese. wholesale dealers, and retail dealers. Each original package must bear a prescribed label. Regulations concerning reports, etc., of manufacturers and branding of all packages not provided for by the law are made by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Oleomargarine.—Oleomargarine is defined as certain (enumerated) manufactured substances, extracts, mixtures, and compounds, including such mixtures and compounds with butter, made in imitation of butter and intended to be sold for butter. Taxed 2 cents per pound. Import duty 6 cents, and internal-revenue tax on imported oleomargarine, 15 cents per pound. Filled cheese.-Filled cheese is defined as substances made from milk or skimmed milk with admixture of butter, oils, or compounds foreign to such milk, and made in imitation of cheese. Taxed 1 cent per pound. Import duty, 6 cents, and internal-revenue tax on imported filled cheese, 8 cents per pound. Original packages shall be plainly branded" Filled cheese," and signs must be displayed where sales are made.

Miscellaneous. Import duty on sugar of milk, 5 cents per pound.

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Milk. (No law.)
Butter. (No law.)

ALABAMA.

Cheese. (No law.)

Imitation butter.

No article which is in imitation of pure yellow butter and is not made wholly from pure milk and cream shall be manufactured, sold, or used in any public eating place, hospital, or penal institution, etc.; but oleomargarine, free from color or other ingredient to cause it look like butter, and made in such manner as will advise the consumer of its real character, is permitted. It must be stamped with its name.

Butter.

Butter is defined as a product manufactured exclusively from milk and

cream.

Cheese. (No law.)

Imitation butter.

Substitutes for butter, whether in wholesale or retail packages. shall be plainly labeled "Adulterated butter," "Oleomargarine," or such other name as shall properly describe them. In hotels, etc., dishes containing said articles must be plainly marked in same manner.

Imitation cheese. (No law.)

Miscellaneous. (No law.)

Dairy bureau.

CALIFORNIA.

Three resident citizens, experienced in manufacture of dairy produce, constitute a State dairy bureau. Period of office four years; no compensation. Issue and record cheese brands. Their agent receives $1,200 salary and is allowed assistants and chemists when necessary. Annual appropriation for bureau, $5,000.

Milk. (No law.)

Butter. Roll butter when sold must be full weight.

All cheese must be branded "California full cream cheese," if it is made

Imitation butter and cheese.

Cheese. from pure whole milk and contains at least 30 per cent fat; "California half-skim cheese," if made from pure milk and has at least 15 per cent fat; “California skim cheese," if made from pure skim milk. Fancy cheeses are excepted. Imitation butter and cheese is defined as any article not produced from pure milk or cream, salt. rennet, and harmless coloring matter, which is in semblance of butter or cheese and designed as a substitute for such. Shall not be colored to imitate butter or cheese, and must be in such form as will advise consumer of its real character. Every package must be plainly marked “Substitute for butter," or "Substitute for cheese," and accompanied by a statement giving name of manufacturer, ingredients, etc., a copy of which must be given to each purchaser, with verbal notice, at the time of sale, in connection with which words like "creamery," "dairy,” etc., are prohibited. Patrons of eating places shall be notified if substitutes of butter or cheese are used. Prohibited in State charitable institutions.

Miscellaneous. (No law.)