The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-15
COTTON SEED NOT ABoRTIvE.
The Lard Inquiry Brings Out an
Amusing Allegation.

INC Lara inquiry bFluRS Oub an
Amusing Allegation.
WASHINGTON, March 14.-The House
Committee on Agriculture this morning re-
sumed its hearing on the lard question.
Mr.. Sinclair, Of Chicago, Secretary of the
Butchers National Protective Association,
said that he voiced the cry of thousands of
people in demanding pure foods, and
especially pure lard, and in asking protec-
tion against compounded articles He in
Weighed bitterly against the sale of what he
declared to he Heterogeneous mass of cotton
seed oil, pure lard and stearine-'a
vile compound"--un er the name Of pure or
refined lard. Pure lard could not be re-
fined but 1t could be adulterated, and man.
ufacturers of the spurious article of ref ed
lard took money from the farmers and con-
sumers by means as dishonest as those prac-
tced by hlghwaymen. The Cotton soeed
Oil Trust had defrauded the farmers of the
West, and the planters of the South might
yet have cause TO regret allowing the trust
to control one of their industries. He
wanted protection for pure lard by the
branding of all compounds so that If the
volition they should be compelled to be SO.
BAD FOR MOTHERS.
He declared that cotton seed and its
ties, could not be given TO the pregnant
female of the human or animal species
without producing abortion. He made a
fiery attack upon Armour & Co., and con-
tended that a few men should not be allowed
to control the food products of the country
They were manufacturers of shoddy goods,
which they were unwilling to make
people believe were pure wool. He pre-
sented the affidavits of five bakers of Chi
Hoo1orsincr fhof fhaU could ha
article known as refined lard because their
goods would be ruined, and asking for a
law requiring refined lard to be branded as
compound lard.
MODIFIES HIS STATEMENT.
In reply to Mr.. Fox the witness said thal
he did not state it as a fact that cotton seed
oil would produce abortion.
In reply to Mr.. Caruth the witness said
that the association which he represented
wanted to be protected against the monopoly
firms which were trying to control the beef
interests of the country. He admitted that
he did not know personally anything about
the medicinal qualities of cotton seed oil
except that he had tasted some and it had
acted upon him incidentally, and that au-
thorities stated that it possessed such quail
ties as ne alleged.
In reply TO questions by Mr.. Glass, the
witness said that he was not a chemist, that
he had never analysed cotton seed oil, and
that he only knew from general statements
that the products of cotton seed would pro-
duce abortion.
Mr.. Glass said that he had been a farmer
and he knew that more than one-half of the
feed given to cattle IN the South was cotton
seed, and he had never known of single
abortion having been produced by reason
of its use, nor had he ever known a farmer
who refused to feed cotton seed to his cattle.
The witness was utterly mistaken.
The witness-Then am mis-informed
Mr.. Wilson read to the committee extracts
from testimony taken by the Interstate
Commerce Commission to the effect that
cotton seed oil was transported in kerosene
tanks.
Mr.. Fox said that he would at the proper
time bring testimony to show that oil used
in refined lard was not so transported.
The committee then ad journed.