The New Yorker, March 18, 1950 P. 23
Talk story about margarine which will be tax-free after Jul. 1st. The word comes from the Greek word for "pearl." Margarine was invented in 1869, by a French chemist named Hippolyte Mege-Mouriez. Napoleon III had offered a prize for the development of a cheap butter substitute to be used in the French Navy. The first margarine in this country was produced in 1873. By 1884, 180 applications had been filed in Washington for patents on processes for manufacturing margarine. In 1886, Congress imposed a tax of 2 cents a pound & required retailers, wholesale dealers, & manufacturers to pay a license fee of $48, $480, & $600 respectively. In 1902, Congress imposed a tax of 10 cents a pound on all colored margarine, & reduced the tax on uncolored. Tells what margarine is made from; tax laws by state, etc.