Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-01-04
Persons in sugars.

lOWluS'
An old refiper, who has been driven
out of the business because, as he
claims, Of the necessity for using chem
icals to compete with other and sue
cessful retiners, said yesterday:
"This secret process for refining
sugars was introduced about six years
ago, but came into general use only
recently. Some refiners use the muri-
ate of tin in both the vacuum pans and
the centrifugal machines, the general
custom being to employ it in the latter
omy. The effect is to improve the
color and to cheaper the cost Of whiten-
ing from one-fourth to one half cent
per pound. according to the quality of
the raw material. The tin is purchased
both in the pig and in liquid form, a
Brooklyn chemical mandatory sup
plying the latter to refiners in large
quantities. l am informed on trust
worthy authority that the consumption
of these materials has increased largely
since they have entered into the manu-
facture of refined sugars. The pig tin
is dissolved in hydro-shloric acid, or
muriatic acid, and is reduced with
water to the proper consistency. 1t is
then thrown into the centrifugal ma
chine, which makes 1,500 revolutions
a minute, whitening q sugar that by
natural process would be yellow. This
new method raises the drawback to be
paid by the government from 2.0S to
2.4S cents pound. 1t is estimated
that profit of y, cent q pound makes
S1.25 barrel, and refinery that pro-
duces from 5000 to 1900 barrels of
sugar O day, for 300 working days will
make a profit of 81 ,125 900 a year on
adulterations alone. The evil is not
confined to the government loss on
drawbacks; the most vital considera-
ton is the poisonous compounds taken
into the human system. The theory of
the refners is that the chemicals which
fail to neutralize enter into the sugar
in such minute quantities that they can
not do any harm. The analyses. how
ever, show an entirely different result,
and chemists and physicians declare
that the poisonous compounds in these
sugars will destroy the coating Of the
stomach, as they are known to be pow
erful enough to eat the copper of the
vacuum pans. 1t is matter that
should command the immediate atten-
ton of the Board of Health; the pen.
atty according to the State law being
$100'for each package of sugar found
to be adulerated."
The poisonous adulteration of refined
sugars was the subject Of conversation
yesterday in the parlors of the Mechan-
les National Bank, on Wall street.
There were present three former sugar
re6ners, Benjamin B. Sherman, Robert
L. Stu2rt'and Isaac Odell, who saw in
the methods pursued by refners an ex-
PLANTATION of the causes that had forced
many men from the business. SIT is q
fair presumption, said one, "that when
manufacturer obtains from 100 pounds
of raw material more sugar than it is
known to contain, that he reaches the
result in some dishonest way" Here"
said another, sis sample of corn glu-
cose, the use of which has increased
enormously in the last few years. /
believe the starch manufacturers make
more money from the production of
glucose than from that of starch, and
there are in the West, am told, fac
tories devoted exclusively to its manu-
facture." eyes," was added. land the
importation has increased hundred
fold in the last two years. 1t is used
even in loaf sugar, for the purpose, it
is claimed by retiners, of preventing
dust in cutting"
s'The most serious matter, however,
it was added, sis the use of muriatic
acid and tin. This heightens and fixes
III -,
manufacture of centrifugal sugars. I
remember having worn many years ago,
= a flannel shirt which irritated and in
+. famed the skin. My physicians told
me that the irritation was caused by
muriate of tin, which had been used to
fix the color of the flannel. The effect
of such substance upon the lining of
the stomach may be imagined. have
given up entirely the use of syrups in
my household. / dissolve maple sugar
as a substitute. Not long agoI ordered
from my grocer jug of nice syrup,
and at the house it CHANGED to be left
near the heater. The heat caused fer
mentation of the glucose in it, and it
ran all over the carpet. It was re-
turned, and have never used any re-
uuou byTups bluC6s ne IeuuSFS may
overreach themselves by their adulter-
ations. They may excite the, popular
indignation to such degree that uni
form tariff OF two cents a pound may
be imposed by Congress. That is
larger than the average duty now col
lected on sugar. and the fixing of a
uniform tariff would admit the higher
grades of raw sugar, which are now
excluded. All pure sugars, even in
the lowest grades, must have a defined
grains The brown and yellow sugars
now produced have no distinct granu-
lation, but are 'ropy' and creeping
sugars. / have no doubt that this
character is owing to the mixture OF
glucose"
A banker, familiar with the refining
Of sugars, said yesterday that the adul-
teration praetieed in the manufacture
Of sugars had driven honest men out Of
the business. They have been" lie
said, IN artyrs 10 their own integrity.
II Is a matter Of serious concern that
the standard Of basiness morals has be-
come lOwered 90 greatly that processes
employed by some manufacturers tend
b. force from the business men Of e.