The evening times., 1896-08-13
HUNTING FORIMPURE FOOD
District Chemist Hird Looking
for Authorizations.
NOT UP TO THE STANDARD
Report Ready ON Different Samples
OF Vinegar That Have Recently Been
Analyzed-No Warrants Have Reen
Issued Against violators ofthe Law.
Inconsistency of the Act.

The District chemist, Prof. j. D. Hird.
has been for several days past employed
ID analyzing samples OF vinegar collected
throughout the District, with O view to
ascertaining the quality of the product as
sold by the dealers. His report, embracing
probably fifty specimens. has been prepared
for transmission to the United States In
ternal Revenue Commissioner
II A large proportion of the samples has
been found to be mot up to the standard
but the District health office, in whose de- 4
fpartment the analyses were made, declines
to say in what respects the vinegar Is de-
ficient, or to what extent the samples
lshavc been found wanting.
The report, he says. is intended for the
United States authorities. and he prefers
to withhold Information until the matter has
been presented to them.
II was announced today that number of
warrants had been issued upon informa-
ton filed with Atts,rney Aullowny, but
this Is discredited by the health officer,
since no proceedings are likely to be taken
prior to the receipt by the attorney of Prof.
Hird's analysis. Whether or not prosecu-
tions are to follow depends altogether upon
the estimate Of the facts by the Comnis-
sioner Of Internal Revenue.
Law SEEMS INCONSISTENT.
H. The law under which the food productsare
suici'in Washington presents to the average
District mind an Inconsistency, and sew
eral times In the past an effort has been
made to effect change.
/ Section IL Of the act ITO prevent the
manufacture and sale Of adulterated food
or drugs in the District" approved Oc-
tober l2, 1888, requires that the analysis
shall be under the control OF tue Internal
Revenue Bureau, and in the regulations
prescribed Hereunder by the Commission
er, the chemist OF the health office OF the
District, or such person as shall be law
fully acting in that capacity, is designated
as the analyst, whose duties as such shall
be performed under control OF the Commis-
sioner.
A bill to change this condition of things
was introduced at the last session Of Con-
gress but 1t did not come to vote. There
was provision in 1t authorizing the Dis
trict Commissioners to make regulations to
govern the manufacture and sale of .'diph-
therfa anti-toxic serum" and as there was
| fear that such q recognition of anti
toxine would not be popular, the friends Of
the measure in Congress had II withdrawn.
The reasons for asking for q change in
the law are chiefly that it complexities mat
ters too much, multiplies forms and in
wolves two branches Of the government in
a work which might better be done by one
There is no objection to imposing the
entire burden upon the Internal Revenue
Department, but the belief is that the
responsibility ought not to be divided, and
the argument is added that supervision OF
food authorizations in the District would
naturally come to the District health Of
fIce. which does the analyzing under the
law as It now is.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
The blank provided for the use Of the
officer, or other person who procures the
sample and desires an analysis, has four
distinct parts, the first being notifica-
ton Of the character Of the product and a
request for its analysis; No. is GER
tlficate from the United States attorney
to the effect that the applicant for analy-
sis had declared to the truth of his state
ment, with details as to what the state
result Of the analysis, and No. Is brief
VI tuc oAHcc obiicfo, oA6ueu uy tAN SUu->
missioner of Internal Revenue.
With a view to simplifying the details
bill will probably be again introduced at
the next session of Congress with OBJ
jectionable references to anti se-
rum omitted, In case such references shall
prove to be Objectionable, the main pro-
vision of the measure being to transfer
the work now performed by tie two de-
partments to the care OF one.
Chemist Hirdis atwork upon the analyses
of a number OF other articles food which
have been collected at tintervalsdi direct from
the stalls or other places Of sale and manu-
facture, and upon bis report to the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue acton will be
taken later on in all cases where there
have been violations OF the law.