The San Francisco call., 1897-03-25
To Be SAVED
BY A STAMP
It Will Tell the Truth
About Adulterated
Groceries.
How Mr.. Stutz Will Keep Within
the Provisions of the Pure
Food Law.
Objections Made by the Retail Grocers'
Association to the Manner of
Its Enforcement.

The pure food law was the subject OF an
animated discussion at the meeting OF the
Retail Grocers' Association last night.
1t was admitted that the law had good
end in view, but the complaint was made
that all the burden was placed on the
shoulders of the retailers, while the whole
sale dealers and the manufacturers were
allowed to 60 unmolested. Another
grievance was that the grocers were not
allowed any time in which to get rid OF
the adulterated stock, but were snatched
up in the grip of the law unawares.
1t was stated at the meeting that 63 per
cent of the manufactured food products
in the United States were adulterated,
and that to remedy the evil and to do no
in Justice to anv one it was necessary to
apply the law first to the manufacturers
and then all the way down from the
wholesaler to the retailer. But the de-
feet in the operation of the law was that
manufacturers outside OF this State could
not be reached, while makers of adulter-
ated goods in this State had not been
punished.
1t was mentioned in the meeting last
night that Grocer Cline had been heavily
fined for selling raspberry jelly that had
been adulterated, and that the manu-
facturers, whose factory was in this City.
had not been complained against or ar
rested.
J. C. Nobmann reported that he had
called on Secretary Godchaux of the
Board of Health and gave that official his
objections against the manner in which
the law was being enforced. 70 his sur
prise, Mr.. Godchaux opened report on
the operation OF the pure-food law of
OHIO and pointed out in that report every
objection that he had made, together with
the reply thereto. Whenever Mr.. Mob.
mann mentioned fresh objection Secre-
tary Godchaux said: Eyes; here it is. on
page so and so Of the Ohio report. You
see, all those objections are old and have
been answered time and again."
Grocer Stutz said that Patrolman Broth
erton. who had arrested him, advised him
to plead guilty.
"GuiIty OF what?' asked Mr.. Stutz.
"Of selling adulterated goods" sug-
gested the officer.
II don't know that they are adulter-
ated," replied Stutz.
He expressed the opinion that under
the law, as 10 now stands, it would be
necessary for the retailer to have an analy-
sis made of bottle in each case before
he would feel safe in exposing the article
for sale.
Mr. Stutz announced that in order to
protect himself in the future he was hav-
ing rubber stamp made with the words
Substitute for.n These words he would
stamp upon little slips of paper. which he
would paste upon the label of each pack
age.
1--WE don't object to the law" said Mr..
Nobmann, land we are more than anx-
ious to uphold it, but We don't want to be
cinched."
An instance was related in which the
wholesaler stamped ''cottonseed oil' on
the box containing tins OF that article
manufactured in Now Jersey, while the
labels on the tins certified that the stuff
was olive oil.
The following resolution was unani-
mousIy adopted:
Resolved, That while we are in favor of the
enforcement Of the pure food law we feel that
the action being taken at present by the
Board of Health does great injustice to the re-
tail grocers OF the City. We therefore urge
that the Board of Health advise with the Re-
tail Grocers' Association and the Wholesale
result may be accomplished with The least in
Jury to ali concerned.
Supervisor John Lackmann, John C..
Nobmann (member of the Grand Jurv)
and Joseph A. Stutz were appointed q
committee to present the resolution TO the