The record-union., 1896-04-21
ADULTERATIoN HERE AND THERE.

The dispatches say that the English
Parliamentary committee on the adul-
teration of food question is about to
submit a report that will make a stir in
the British trading and manufactur-
ing world and among consumers. The
report will point out the necessity for
the creation Of Board of Chemists to
establish and enforce adoption Of
standards Of purity for all food which
is purchased Of dealers.
Certain parts of the report are di-
rected against the food supplies, in
part, from America. If our supplies
sent to England cannot stand the tests
of purity to be applied, we will have
no reason to complain, if the same reg
ulation is enforced as to all other food
imports into England, and it is fair
to assume that this will be done.
But If England is about to be stirred
up by such mere recommendation,
which may never crystalline into law,
what is to be said of the stomachic SEN
sitiveness oe our people in this State,
who were informed officially last year
that % per cent. of our purchased food
is adulterated, and some of it absolute
ly poisoned?
On the strength of belief in the truth
Of that allegation, the last Legislature
passed bill and it became a law, pro-
hibiting adulteration Of food or the Of
fering of such food for sale, under
heavy penalties.
But there stands the law upon the
statute books, with no more vitality in
1t than in a last local campaign polit-
ical speech. No law was ever enacted
by California Legislature that fell so
deadly cold a corpse so suddenly after
1t had been given legislative life. It
must be concluded that 1t died of too
much virtue. 1t is too stringent, at
tempts too much, is too prohibitory,
and presumes too much upon the desire
of the people to have pure food at
manded for adulterated goods. We
wanted to be poisoned and cheated and
save our pennies, and SO the law lies in
its early tomb.
It remains to be seen, in case Parlia-
ment acts upon the advice of its COM
mittee If the British public is any more
desirous of preventing adulteration of
food than are we in California or, for
the matter of that, In all the States
For, some six years ago, the Federal
quiry as to food adulteration and its
extent and danger. After long search
and a vast number of tests by chem
lists. and examination of foods pur-
made to Congress that fully 15 per
cent, and in certain lines 80 per cent,
OF our food is impure. is adulterated, for
titled and counterfeited, and that as
for the remaining So per cent, half of
1t is ill-prepared.
This report has been scattered broad
cast, and has been reprinted by most
newspapers, together with the recon-
mendation of the Federal inquirers and
inquisitors that laws be passed to reach
the evils indicated. But the revelations
made did not cause SO much as a twit-
ter Of surprise or fear. No laws have
been passed against the evil; the re-
ports have been used for fire-kindling;
what the newspapers published of them
has been forgotten, and we continue to
buy and consume goods to support life
that are robbed of more than half the
nutritive quality and in some case of
all Of it. for while only 10 per cent
average-of adulteration prevails, there
are many foods in which the cheat rep
resents 20 per cent. OF unwholesome
matter. But 1t is cheaper. and we buy
and die, and save our pennies.
THE BEST HALF CENTURY.