St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-19
A Vigorous Roast for the
State Dairy and Food
Commission.
The PpuSsing Vinegar Com
pany Tells How 1t Was
Operated.
A Plan to Give Vinegar lu-
speetors Some Practical
knowledge.
The Annual Session and Ban
quet Of the st. Paul
Press Club.


ably abolishing the dairy and food de-
partments as extensive, unsatisfactory
and generally useless, is attracting gen
eral attention. The PruSsing Vinegar
company, of Chicago, which claims it
could unfold an interesting tale. If sum
m0ned before a legislative committee,
writes as follows to the GLOBE:
We have received a copy of your is
sue of the 18th commenting on the work
of the dairy and food commission, and
advising an investi cation into the work
ing of that department of the state gov
eminent.
AS one of the parties in interest we
cordially indorSe the suggestion, though
we are unable to agree with you III the
reasons for 1t.
If the knowledge of the commission
on the subjects of milk, cheese. lard ana
other food products Is no greater than
their knowledge OF vinegar, an inquiry
would prove the necessity not only for
a change in the head Of the commission,
but in its entire staff.
We do not know anything about those
products. but We do know something
about vinegar, and we know that the
commission does not know, or, ii 1t
does, it has so far SedulOusly con-
cealed 1t. May it not very well
have happened that if Gov. Merriam has
treated the eX-cOmmlsSl0ner like
pckporket." or "usurped his functions"
and lied his hands it was because his
superior sense or knowledge saw that
an ignorant officehodtr, running amnck
through the vast industries placed at
his mercy, would probably commit
enough injustice during his term 10
make that term a stencil in the n0Slrll,
of the people?
We do not accuse the commission of
anything worse than Ignorance and
malice, but these are abuudaltlv proven
by the third biennial REL orr. just pub
lished, in the portions devoted ~ vine
gar, and eSpec ~ in that por' Oh
tanning the report OF the st. su te-
partment, page 1870.
1t may be briefly stated of thai report
that what facts are acc uratelytstated are
not important To the people of -lnne-
sofa, and what facts are important are
not accurately or fairly stated.
/ he trouble lies largely III The want OF
practical information. The conmlS-
SiOner when appointed knew nothing of
the manufacture Of vinegar. He APP
pointed chemists to invest gate for him,
they sought light where they were USED
to- looking for it--ln books. They found
some learning there on the subject, a
little. and "a little learning is danger
Gus thing" They blundered, and when
taken to task for ii they abused the
privileges of their Office and Sandtred
the men who exposed them; and worse
than this, they mlSreprescnttd their
products. 1t was WORSE because i'll do
ing it they mi>led the people OF the state
who consumed those products.
1t is a remarkable tact that their table
of analysis of vinegar shows that every
well-knoWn manufacturer of vinegar IN
the country whose goods have been
offered for sale has been found to be
law breaker. Not one has escaped.
1t would be lamentable, if true,
that in an industry eXLending
over the whole country. embrace
ing MANY different sorts and qualities
of goods. there would not be iOurd at
least a fair minority of Self-reSpectlng
manufacturers who would sell their
products in obedience to the law and
deliver the goods as branded, but 1t is
abSurdly false. The common sense of
the people RE- ectS such charge as
monstrous We can produce legal proof
TO do so whenever afforded an opp0r-
tunty and tribunal, and we have no
doubt that many other manufacturers
can.
But the most serious charge we bring
against the commission is that the re-
ports are filled with talk of ''aduter-
ated," ''unwhoeSOme," spurious"
"bad' and very bad'' vinegars found
10y their analyses, till the people might
very we'll believe. if they believed the
reports. that unless the greatest care
was exercised in buying they were in
danger of their lives.
The truth is there is not an ''unWhole-
some" vinegar manufactured in the
United States. There Is no food prod
net SO little requiring inspection and
regulation. 1t was lately pointed out
by the ablest trade paper in the coun-
try, The Northwest Trade, that the
charge of ''adnteration" was unfair,
and we go farther. and say it was mali
clouS. The substitution of purer vim
egar for an article less pure cannot he
adulteration, and if ANY fact III chemis-
try is established. it is that vinegar
made from distilled alcohol is neceSsa-
Tiiy purer than that made from alcohol
moi distilled, that the so-called white
Wine" or 'luw wine." or as
they Opprobously term it ''whis-
ky" vinegar is much purer arti-
Gle than cider vinegar. We make both
and ought to know something of it. 1t
is unQuesti0nably wrong to so initiate
and brand the one that it may sell for
the other, but II Is a wrong done to the
pockets, not 4he stOmachs OF the peo-
pie. Punish the wrong when il is found
and proven. 1t is parody upon
the administration of Justice tC
publish printed accusation against
the character of reputable houses, min
Cling in an indiScrimfnate hotch p0tch
the innocent with tile guilty, the"sQuare
deafer' with the Schemer. and not fol
low it with some attempt al prosecu-
ton and punishment. If the charge is
true tie parties guilty should be pun
ished. II The charge Is not true the mer
who made it should be punished. En-
force your laws. but put their enforce
ment into the hands of men who are
wiling to inform themselves of tht
most essential facts relating TO theil
duties. and who will not approach theil
duties with insurmountabie prejudice:
and niiSlnfOrmation. Let Louis FlnSetl
insist that some OF his staff shall SpenC
month in some vinegar factory (ours /:
al his disposal Tor the purDOSe), study
rng carefully the manufacture anC
learning how vinegar is made. anC
from what it is made, before any more
reports are printed. The information ST
gained will not be found antag0nistic t
the learning of the hooks, and will bt
vastly more important and practical.
VIII also be something OF a novelty
Respectfully yours.
PRESSING VINEGAR COMPANY.
PRESS CLUE ANNUAL.