The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-11-20
ADULT ITERATION OF FOOD.

Frank y. Moore. special agent OF the
State Department of Agriculture, is in
Pittsburg for the purpose of enforcing the
pure food laws, the oleomargarine law,
and the special act covering the adultera-
ton of vinegsrs and jellies, passed at the
last session of the Legislature. He in
tends making Pittsburg his headquarters
for some months, and began Friday
collecting samples of teas, coffecs, sugars,
fiavors, etc. These will be turned over
tO Prof L. +. Ashburn, State chemist Tor
the district, and tested. Ifthey are found
adulterated dealers will be notified of the
fact and ordered to bring the articles up
To the standard required by law. Their
fiilure 10 do so will result in prosecution.
Mr.. Moore has been enforcing the law
| in Erie and Crawford counties since
October l. In that time he has entered
Is suits against sellers of oleomargarine,
winning all of them. Mr.. Moore keeps
tab on the oleomargarine sellers, with
a typewritten list of every firm west of
the Allegheny mountains paying the
government tax. Said he: ''The greatest
difficulty have experienced is getting at
the real members of the firm. The Unit
ed States tax is paid under false name,
usually, and the clerks are usually so ig-
norant that an arrest or two is necessary
i to gain information.
AS for Pittsburg, I will make the as
sertion that there isn't grocery, butter
or eonfactionarv ctora that will mass
| inspection. believe that in most cases
the proprietors are unwilling violators of
the law, but it is an evil which must be
| corrected. There is n certain date, by
which time all dealers must have spuri-
Gus goods weeded out. | will not say
how near that day is coming, but Pitts
burg dealers had better get i'm good con-
dition. After that the law will be en-
forced by suits. Inspections may be
made three or four times. / do not know
when l will be called to some other part
| of the State, and some other inspector
| brought here to 60 over the same ground,
in order 10 catch fresh violators. The
people should not get the idea that the
inspection is only once every 10 years, or
even every year. 1t may come twice Il
week in some cases. Dealers will not be
prosecuted except on samples of goods
actually sold. Ifa man selling adulter-
ated goods shows himself willing to COM
ply with the law, he will not be interfer-
ell with. 1t is the willful violators of the
pure food laws, and especially the oleo-
margarine laws that | am afteI."
Mr.. Moore will inspect confectionery
stores and soda water fountains in con-
nection with other lines. Pure candies
and syrups will be insisted upon. There
are three inspectors working throughout
the State at present, and more will be
put on later in the fall.
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE EDGE
SHOWS To WHAT EXTENT VINEGAR
Is "DoCToRED"-TIMoTHY SEED
USED IN "FRUIT JAM To DE-
CEIvE BUYERS.
Secretary of Agriculture Edge says
those who have not given the matter
careful attention have 10 idea of the ex-
tent to which the more common articles
of household use are adulterated and re-
inferior materials. In order to test the
adulteration of vinegar he recently di-
rected one of the agents of the depart
ment to obtain samples of the pure cider
! vinegar" sold in a country town in the
midst of large apple district in which it
was supposed that the pure article of ap-
pie vinegar would he too cheap to be
adulterated. Yet, it was clearly proven
by chemical test by an expert in the de-
partment that not single sample came
up to the legal requirements for vinegar
and that probably not one of them was.
as they all purported to be, 'pure cider
| vinegar"
Colonel Edge claims that very low
priced article of vinegar costing not more
than three cents gallon il made from
the scrapings and washings of the steam
ers and other vessels which bring mo-
lasses i'm bulk to New York and Phila-
delphia. This is manipulated and event
ually sold, at least In many eases, as
''pare cider vinegar The pure food
law, enacted by the last legislature, posi-
lively requires that the legal article of
vinegar shall contain four per cent. of
acid and two per cent. of solids, and yet
it is claimed by the officers of the depart
ment of agriculture that not one sample
i'm ten will come up to these require
ments.
The secretary proposes to collect nu-
merous samples of food products and
articles used for food in different parts
of the state and by an analysis and ex-
animation by experts, show the neces-
sity which exists for the pure food act,
which il is made the daty of the depart
ment To enforce. Thus far, no prosecu-
| cutions have been commenced, but after
the violations of the law have been de-
monstrated and manufactures have been
fairly notified it is proposed to carry the
provisions of the law into eifec; and com:
mence prosecutions against offenders,
the intent being to punish those guilty of
manufacturing. rather than the possibly
innocent retailer, who, at least in many
cases, has no knowledge Of the actual
character of the commodity which he Of
fers for sale.
But there are fragrant cases for which
the officials claim there can be TO
extenuation offered. When a grocer
offers his customers thirty-five poun OF
''pure fruit JAM in pals costing eight
cents, for siXty-nine cents, pail and all.
Colonel Edge says, there must be some
thing wrong. No retailer can plead ig-
narance OF fraud and should know that
the seeds of the so-called strawberries
and raspberries are timothy seeds and
that the body of the mixture is glucose
thickened or coagulated with sulphuric
acid. In other articles of food the adul-
teration and substitution are equally
evident. Coffee, in the grain, of any col
or desired, can be procured. Ii may be
| guaranteed to contain nothing injurious
and 10 contain no coffee of any kind, and
may be placed on the market in l0l-
pound lots as low as ten cents pound.
When mixed with the genuine coffee
berry the secretary says it would puzzle
any one to pick them out by appearance.
School Teachers Headquarters. County
Institute.