The San Francisco call., 1896-08-07
THEY DEMAND PURE FOOD
Fruit Exchange Committee Criti
cizes Supervisor Hobbs for
Inconsistency.
1t Is Thought an preparation Should
Be Had TO Establish Public
Laboratory.

laboratory.
The committee appointed by the San
Francisco Fruit Exchange to attend to the
general subject OF the public health, and
particularly to the question of food adul-
teration, has brought in full report.
The report emphasizes the fact that the
importation of adulterated jellies and
jams from the East is a pressing evil, and
states that they were unable to hold a
conference with the Board of Supervisors
to establish chemical laboratory for he
inspection of imported foods. Without
this appropriation the committee reports
that all proceedings might as well be
dropped. The following is the text of the
report:
SAN FRANCISCO Aug. 6, 1896.
To the Board of directors of the San Francisco
Fruit E1change-DEAR SIRs: Your committee
appointed TO attend to the question OF food
adulterarion and general subject OF public
health, particularly regarding the importation
of adulterated jeilies and jams from the East,
begs leave to report as follows:
That this is most important thing, affect-
ing the fruitgrowers, fruit-canners and pack
ers generally throughout the State.
We attended several meetings at the Cham
ber of Commerce, IN conjunction with COM
mittees from all the commercial organizations
of Supervisors appropriate SUFFICIENT sum to
establish chemical laboratory and general
food inspection, the same as is the case in the
large cities of the East.
The Board of Health of San Francisco asked
for S25, 900 for an appropriation for the pur-
poses named. Part of this was for perma-
nent establishme ent of q Ia boratory, where pub
lie certificates OF analysis would be issued to
the general public
Recognizing the necessity of keeping down
the tax levy during this year we figured that
in excess of one-hundredth of cent on the
dollar of taxable property in San Francisco, or
half of cent ON each 500 of property We
endeavered to hold conference with the
Board OF Supervisors, but were unable to
do so.
They acknowledged that they did not under
stand the requirements, but when they pre-
| pared to fix the tax levy they refused to have
| any one explain the subject. The ridiculous
| ness of this whole proposition vas that some
| one of the Finance Committee of the Board OF
| Supervisors, notably Mr.. Hobbs of that COM
mittee, objected to the appropriation for
| public health in order to keep down the levy,
and reached the height OF con consistency by
| the 800 by an additional schoolhouse in the
district N which he lived by an appropria tion
of 100000. This man unquestionsbly does
not understand that in all civilized communi.
| ties the question of public health is paramount
to all other subjects, and all other departments
of the City government are in other comm uni
/ ties subordinate to that of Public Health.
] Your committee finds further that in the
| appropriations for the Healrh Department by
| the Supervisors are considered amounts
ment Of public health, viz: Departments
4 such as the Receiving Hospital Almshouse,
prisons, etc. These belong properly to the
charity and correction departments; and in
,nection with appropriations Tor the, public
health, which department. deals exclusively
with the public health Of the community.
The entire increase of appropriation for pub
! lie health by the Board of Supervisors is the
/ munifcent sum of $4,000 over and above the
amounts sufficient TO pay expenses and In
1 spectOrS already created ana paIo for curing
| the past year.
We have Investigated this part of it and find
| this to be the fact.
| Unless the amount necessary can be appro-
| priated to 60 into the matter in proper shape
it is ridiculous to make an attempt at 1t at all.
The San Francisco Fruit Exchange and the
Manufacturers and Producers Association of
this City deserve great credit for having un-
/ dertaken the subject in order to put this City
| in line OF progress with other large commun-
! tiles throughout the country and Europe.
| As we have said, the entire appropriation re-
| ouired will be one-hundredtn of 1 cent on each
dollar of taxable property in San Francisco,
and as the tax levy is notyet . fixed fact we
would recommend that committee be ap-
pointed to demand a conference with the
Board of Supervisors and Board of Health of
San Francisco on this su bject SO that the facts
of the case may be laid before them.
We can safely say that since this agitation
began on the subject of pure foods the falling
off in importat ton of adulterated jellies from
the East bas been very heavy, ard y only re-
terated stuff out OF existence in this City and
State
The press of this City has taken hold of this
subject and realizes its Importance.
We further recommend that the services of
a competent attorney be secured to prosecute
violations of the pure food laws in the Police
courts without expense to the association.
We find that the ordinary process will not
succeed. 80
vices of a competent attorney. who will act for
and on behalf of the exchange without any
expense to it, and will prosecute the cases that
may come up, and we would recommend that
these services be secured at as early a,date as
possible, es several cases are now on the docket
Tae fruit business Of this State amounts to
many millions of dollars and the Gamers of
lars of canned goods. Before the Eastern
adulterated stuff came in here all the Gamers
did an enormous business in jeliies, which has
gradually drifted away. and the cheap, adul-
ferated and frequently poisonous stuff from
the East has taken its place. This stuff is sold
for half of the price at which pure fruit jellies
could be sold for.
and your committee succeeds in holding a
| conference with the Board OF supervisors on
this subject, we feel that they will see the
| importance and discover that this question is
! of more Importance at the present time than
many OF the matters engaging their attention.
The question OF public health Is paramount
! to ali other considerations, and 1t is strange
] that the Board OF Supervisors, which is COM
posed of intelligent men, do not realize this
! fact.
Without the necessary appropriation by the
| Board of Supervisors the matter might as we'll
be dropped, as nothing can be accomplished
unless the thing is done with complete
| and Thorough organized force to bring about
| the reforms SO devoutly desired by every man,
! woman and child in the community who has
| the public welfare ct heart. Respectfully sub
mitted. COMMITTEE.