The record-union., 1897-11-19
DISCUSSING FOOD ADULTERATION.

Horticulture until the investigation IS
completed. All samples tested that
/ are not labeled, according to the lml-
| tation olive oil law, or pure food law,
! to be published and proceedings instl-
| tuted against every grocer or druggist
where such brands are found on sale.
/ The olive growers can attend to this,
| as they are located in every district
| from Red Bluff to the Mexican line.
| / call your attention to another fact
and that is that imported oil is bottled
in San Francisco and sold as pure Cal
| ifornia olive oil, widely advertised IN
the middle West by private circulars
and offered at lower prices than any
| producer can afford These circulars
/. are sent to me by the recipients and
sometimes private letters. All Calltor-
MIA oil makers should report to the Sec
retarv of the State Board of Horticul-
! ture the number of gallons sold TO any
| house and give the name of the pur-
/ chaser, in order that we can expose thus
| fraud. Another matter to which call
your attention is that according to the
) Wilson tariff. olive oil imported for
manufacturing purposes is entered free
of duty. The Assistant Secretary OF
the Treasury wrote to a Western SEN
atcr as follows:
! II have to inform you that the APP
! praiser at New York reports that the
! invoice designation of the character of
olive oil imported is not considered by
! his office; that the merchandise itself
| is the only factor in determining its
dutiable character, and that the oil is
tested by tasting and smelling. and if
found to be fit only for manufacturing
and mechanical purposes and valued at
not more than 60 cents per gallon, it
( is returned as such free under para
/ graph b26 Of the Act of July "a, 1897;
/ but if found to be fit for salad or table
+ use, it is returned under paragraph 40
| of said Act, at 40 cents per gallon"
Every effort that was possible was
made by the fruit growers and by those
interested in the manufacture of olive
oil, to have all the so-called olive oils,
| no matter for what purpose imported,
+ to pay a duty. Anyone can see the
danger in said Act First-Invoices can
be made to suit the purpose of free
/ entry; second-the duty depends upon
the taste and smell of the officer who
is called to examine the oil Here is a
temptation that might lead to fraud.
The fact is we should institute a detec-
tive system to examine the entries and
to examine the oil. A New York firm
who deals in cheap olive oil, wrote me
under date of the 4th inst. that oil
for manufacturing purposes cost on
! that date 521a cents per gallon of 71a
pounds, and that similar oil earlier in
the season was sold as low as 46 cents.
/ have a sample with me which can be
examined. Some parties who We're con-
sidering the project Of establishing a
sardine factory in San Luis Obispo
4 County wrote me on the subject, re-
quasting that I join the company and
furnish the olive oil. Before giving a
= definite answer I tested the market in
San Francisco. / received as the job
bing price on what is known as II size
containing about Is fish, French inn
ported, 9 clio cents a can; domestic
put up in the East, 3 5-100 cents a can
/ and Los Angeles Z cents can Such
prices would nd pay for the oil let
alone the cost of the fish, tin boxes and
labor. Any such establishment would
certainly lose money, and under the
circumstances would be impossible
Formerly sardines were put up in olive
oil and We're a very healthful and nu-
tritious food. Now only cotton seed
oil is used, and, hence, a dangerous
food. short time since two deaths
at Santa Rosa We're reported from eat
ing sardines and more recently whole
family were poisoned in Sacramento by
eating them. My advice to the public
would be to eat no sardines unless they
knew they were put up in olive oil
There are none such on the market
After few more deaths occur or more
families are poisoned this danger will
be better understood
. / have already extended this ESSAY
beyond the limit and must draw to a
close. l trust the olive growers will
carefully consider the subject To me
the outlook is not encouraging
Mr.. Cooper gave as his authority fol
the statement concerning the Sacra-
mento family a clipping from a San
Francisco paper. but it is evidently a
case of an imaginative reporter
4 The essay was made a part of the
proceedings by unanimous vote
DID NOT AGREE.
General n. p. Chapman was sorry tc
hear Mr.. Cooper say the outlook fol
the olive industry was discouraging
He did not agree with him fully. He
had always looked forward to the fruit
industry, and, especially, the olive cul-
ture, as the factor of prosperity to the
State. He had not believed that the
American people would long put III
with adulteration of olive oil, any more
than they did oleomargarine and other
things. The American people Is grow
ing richer and as soon as it understands
the difference Will buy the genuine ar
ticle IN preference to the adulterated
lie thought the wide use of the latter
was mainly due to the fact that the
people wanted olive oil and took the
substitute because there was not a
large enough quantity of the genuine
oil produced. He knew that Mr. Coop
er's Gil cost him - cents at his gro.
GERS, and the Lucca oil, so-called. is OF
the same price. II is evident, there
fore. that there is a great profit in the
/ production of the spurious article He
| could not agree with Mr.. Cooper and
should stick to his olive orchard, with
/ hopes for his future.
Mr.. Cooper said he did not wish to
take issue with General Chipman. but
the falling off in the sale of pure olive
oil in San Francisco the past year and
the impossibility of selling it in the
East had induced his remarks. Ont al
/ % samples analyzed by the Board OF
Health Of San Francisco 10 We're found
badly adulterated with cotton seed OF.
| and other things.