St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-23
IVES ON WAR PATH.

With so satisfactory record, Dairy
Commissioner Ives is preparing for an
other crusade, and this time he will
tackle the authorizations of foods and
liquors. At first it was thought desirable
that the scope of the commission should
be extended to include foods and drugs,
As laws of similar character are
now in operation in the states of Massa-
chusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New
Jersey, and Ohio. Owing to the great
howl of the late legislature in the direc-
ton of retrenchment and reform, it was
impossible to obtain sufficient appro-
priation to CO ry out the food adultera-
ton war in its entirety, and Mr.. Ives,
believing that half a loaf was bet
ter than no bread, drew up and
had introduced bill prohibiting the
adulteration OF baking power. vinegar.
lard and liquors. The bill passed and
will become law Aug. l. The sum of
5000 annually was appropriated for the
enforcement of the law, and active
into effect. Dairy Commissioner Ives
is now in the East, and Chemist Eber-
man has just returned from New York
and Boston, procuring the apparatus
necessary for the laboratory to carry on
the work of inspection and analysis.
The chemical and physical apparatus
necessary for analyZatiOn, as well as in
spection. can only be procured in two or
three places in this country. and the
most important is obtained at New York
and Boston. 1t was of paramount i'm
portance that the latest approved meth
DDS of analyzation should be
brought into force. For instance, man.
ufacturers of vinegar in this state
as well as in other states, are big with
the idea that there is but one method by
which vinegar ought to be tested, and
that is by the acidometer. They are.
therefore, very much exercised as to the
method Chemist Eberman will adopt,
and in reply to the question he said,
The commission have concluded that
they will not waive the simpler methods
Of analyZation, which are only prelim-
mary, but they will direct determine
tions by analysis. In SO doing they
carry out the full letter of the law, and
ascertain the percentage of acetic acid,
also the amount of solids inside of vim
egar."
The usual methods will also be
adopted in the analysis of baking pow
der and lard. Rigorous inspection will
be made into the purity of all liquors,
and attention will be paid as to the de-
ceptions used as to the age of the liquor
and the country from whence it is said
to be imported. Liquors and brandies
are found to contain large quantities of
fusel oil. and in beer there are preserv-
atives that are not only detrimental to
health, but are fraud upon the con-
sumner. All these will receive the i'm
mediate attention of the commission,
and, with the opening of August,
saloonkeepers may anticipate a warm
time. The only people who have kicked
against this adulteration law are the
manufacturers of baking powder.
who bring into use a mixture of
alum. The sale of baking powder
containing alum is not prohibited. but
it is provided that all packages contain
tanning the baking powder shall dis
tinctly state that alum is mixed there
with. The manufacturers are loudly
crying out against this. and have threat
ened Commissioner Ives with unknown