The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-02
FINAL WORDS
FOR PURE FOOD
President Jordan Favors
Laws Against Adult.
teration.
The Congress Adjourns to Re.
new Its Work at the
End of a Year.
There Is a General Belief That Much
Cool Has BEN Done by the
Convention,

Yesterday concluded the deliberations
OF the Pure Food Congress, and there was
a general impression that 1t resulted IN
much good. Governor Budd sent Sec
ond letter regrethng that he could NOT De
present and stating that he fully inuoFseo
The principles Of the congress.
Mrs. Woolner addressed the congress In
favor of pure baking powder, after which
President David Starr Jordan delivered
the address OF the day. lie said that he
came to speak in order that he might
show the deep interest he felt In the move
ment; not that he knew anything about
pure food, not having seen any to his
knowledge since he left the farm twenty.
fiyeyears ago. He thought the law with
reference to the manufacture and sale of
impure food did not go far enough. 1t
should not only bs made very unprofit-
able, but extremely disagreeable. Every Of
fender should be fined and sent to jail.
Every maker OF impure food should be
com PEELED to put his name on the la bel
and state the ingredients In The mixture
offered for sale.
If beef blood, mixed with sulphuric /
acid and colored with aniline dyes. was Of
fered for sale as jelly, the people had a
right to know what they were eating.
Some people say that legislation shout d
be made TO enforce virtue, but this would
be based on each man. interests or tastes.
They had a man in Kansas who wanted
to enforce the Ten Commandments by
means OF legislation. There are Two ways
OF enforcing laws-by legisla ion and by
police force. Legislation with refer
ence to pure food should be ON sound
lines. A great many people are oppose
10 being legislated, and most legislation
is essentially bad, but the way to do is to
h. Ii oI1fT ~
three maxims governing the case. Aris-
totle says: ''It is the duty OF the State to
reach every worthy end" Private ind1--
.viduals cannot analyZe baking powder and
other adulteraIed food, but the State can.
Bees said the professor would make
honey out OF glucose II 1t were placed
within their reach. Bogus TODD would be
manufactured if there was money in it.
The Government should take into its own
hands the stamping OF foods. just "a il
stamped money, for the same reason-that
genuineness might be officially guaran-
iced. In his youth counterfeit State
bank bills were common. 1t was one OF
his youthful duties to run often through
a bank note detecter and tinu out which
bills were bogus. About one in twenty
was, and very likely the counterfeit went
upon the contri button plate. Ii was nee
essary to have the Govern Mt act because
private enterprise would not act in this
matter.
1t would not do to say by law that the
people should not eat plum pudding,
greasy pie or anv American pie or drink
steam beer. Perhaps he might exempt
steam beer from mention-steam beer had
ITS friends; but the others had none. He
had a right to drink Citric acid or eat axle
grease or arsenic if he wished; but let
him know what he was eating. Every
man had right to a clean path to the
grave, the same as the man travelling in
he other direction; but he was entitled
to know what he was about Government
paternalism would make nation of chill
dren. Laws could not tell what peo pie
should eat or drink: but could provide
that they should know what they we're
eating or drinking. Shipping frosted or
anges under a Riverside brand was AKIN
to horsestealing and forgery and murder.
Let such an act be made 10 carry unpieas-
ant consequences to the responsible party.
DR.. II. b. Bates of San Jose read paper
on "Adulteration." He held that there
wsre many ingenious ways of addlterat-
ing tood so as to hurt the human system
and do harm to business.
DR.. H. B. Gates of San Jose read pa
per on "Adulteration VS.. Civilization"
The doctor told the audience about forty
or more ways in which foods were
adulterated, and also spoke of the intro
duction of disease germs into the human
system through milk or other products
Professor NJ. E. Jaffa of the State U nj
versity discussed Butter and Cheese"
He strongly Endorsed the new cheese law
as being calculated to encourage the dairy
industry. The present annual product OIL
California cheese is 5000, 00G pounds. His
paper was technical and descriptive.
Authorizations of butter and cheese were
severely censured. The law, which will
go into effect next Monday, would, he
thought, protect the producer OF Califor-
MIA cream cheese and insure that the con-
sumner would get pure article.
Professor ,Hilgard of the State Univer-
sity spoke on the Use of Antiseptics for
the Preservation of Food Products. DO The
real question was what could or could not
be eaten with impunity. The effects of
bad food would be fet in after life, even
if they were not recognized earlier. Pro-
lessor Hilgard ridiculed the suIphurins
of fruits, which destroyed the flavor as
we'll as the color. He did not blame the
fruit-growers, but the public demand for
fruit that had been whitened. He had
preached so long in this State on the sub
iect that he had grown tired and he be-
lieved that before to-day he had never
been applauded for his views concerning
sulphuring. Unless the law could regu
late the use of antiseptics their use should
be discor tinued.
The ommittee on State and local or
ganization submitted the following report:
1otar fn ion he