The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-10
ADULTERATION.
1t Is on the Increase in the
United States.
Hardly an Article Of Food or Drink
Now Escapes This Fraud.
BIZ The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10.--The question
of adulteration of food and drugs in this
country is discussed in detail in the re-
port OF Special Agent Andrew j. Wedder.
burn Of the agricultural department.
After referring to the fact that the public
ideas of aduiteration of food are in
many cases very much exaggerated, the
report says: "rhe attention OF foreigners
has b. - drawn TO the fact that greater or
less a. alteration exists among us. As a
result foreign competitors OF our manu-
factures OF food products have used the
fact o their OWE advantage.
position of being one OF the very few
America today occupies the unenviab
countries that failed TO require by law the
proper branding OF their manufactured
food and drugs. Whether such require
ments would accomplish the desired re-
suit is unknown, but the evil would be
mitigated by wholesome legislation. This
belief is sustained by the results Of the
food laws OF England and other foreign
countries az well "a of the various States.
The concurrent testimony of State Off
cials charged with the enforcement of
State and local laws in that pational law
is necessary TO secure proper enforcement
of State laws.
"If il be true, that il is impossible for
any State TO fully execute its laws no
matter how stringent so long as the origi-
nal package decision STANDS as law, then
the need of federal law is imperative.
The effort to purge the country OF this
crime is doing good and aids in keeping
down the adulteration OF the products we
consume, bdteach year brings TO light new
articles in which a method to improve the
profits IL not their quality has been found
and the fact that almost every article OF
food and drug used in our country is
aduDterated is proved most conclusively
by vast amount of information gathered
by the department.
"The extent of the practice is as broad
as the continent but its character Injuries
the pocket rather than the health. The
general character Of food adulterat ions is
principally commercial fraud and the ex-
tent OF criminal or poisonous adulieratlon
In food is 40 limited IA TO amount to but a
bagatelle in the immense sum OF the pro-
ducts consumed.
"A large proportion OF poisonous adul-
terntions arises from carelessness and
ignorance. But ignorance is no excuse
for the wholesale destruction of life by
the addition of poisonous pigments TO
many articles OF food, especially confec-
tionery, cream and like articles.
lt Is General aud Alarming.
at has been proved that adulteration is
general and increasing and that no kind
OF food, drugs or liquors is free from the
finishing touches of the manipulators.
Whether the intent be criminal and
vicious, or simply fraudulent, the result
is the same and he people will continue to
suffer until the strong hand of Federal
law steps into supplement and support the
action OF the states. The extent of
adulterstion is fully 10 per cent, OF which
2 pr cent. is OF character injurious to
heath. But to furnish 65,00O,OOO people
with food drink and drugs costs about
$3.50 900, and IL IL found that the amount
OF adulteration reaches the immense sum
OF Sl,0i4,0O0 annually. As at least 2
per cent. OF the whole is deleterious to
health, s136, 200, 900 constitutes the annual
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