The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-06

ducts and Their Sale as Wheat
FIcur.
The recent statements that flour sold
In the East is being heavily adulterat-
ed bv mixture with corn -four has
aroused the millers of the Northwest
to renewed activity in their efforts to
form league to fight against the prac-
tice
NATURALIZATION League" is the
name of the new organization. The
Northwestern Miller of Minneapolis, is
godfather of the organization. 1t is
proposed to take an active part in the
warfare against adulterated flour, as
siSting st. Louis millers in their work
Tor The naturalization bill now before
Congress, ard also taking other and
effective measures to prevent the
spI cad Of the habit of adulteration and
to root out the mixing which is now
going on.
Amid all the inaccurate statements
about corn -four" and the difficulties
OF the millerS in meeting adulteration,
the fact of the organization of the
league has been lost sight of. Within
e few days W. c. Edgar, of the North
western Miller. has sent out 10 all
spring wheat millers a circular letter
setting forth the evils of the adultera-
ton of flour and inviting the recipients
to become members of a league. An
SWers are already coming in. Some of
the miliers not only send their member
ship fee. but also subscribe literally for
expenses.
No better description of the situation
could be found than Mr.. Edgar's open
ing words in this letter:
rs you are doubtless aware, the adul-
teraton of flour by the admxture OF corn
-four. and latteriy CT corn starch, is in
creasnS at most alarming rate and now
seriously menaces the whole milling trade.
fTiDtngllU don lizirt ectiN y-ac
confined to a very small section of the South,
where for some years is was an open
secret that a few millers were mixing corn
flour with wheat foer. 50 long as the
practice was confined to these mills, and
the very narrow market reached by them,
the evil was net considered OF sufficient i'm
pCrtance 10 excite general alarm, but with
two years of short wheat crops, and very
large corn crops in the winter wheat sec
ton. the relative price between the two
cereals became great that the tempta-
ton TO adulterate grew very aluring and
many of the winter wheat millers, in GER
tain sections. found that they were either
forced 10 retira from business altogether
or else engage in methods which. although
most repugnant. were undoubtedly profit
able. Some of these yielded to the temp
Jation, al first mixing a small percentage
Of corn -four, and gradually increasing it
as competition demanded. and later CT
using corn starch, furnished in almost
unlimited quantities by the glucose trust
The practice once started has grown be-
yond all bounds, and millers, in con-
Slahtiy -%iuenlnS neId, have been forced to
ADOPT It. so that the abuse has assumed
large dimensions and unless something Is
done to curb and control it, will ruinously
affect. in a short time. all classes CT the
trade. Not only are the millers selling to
these markets obliged to adultcrate or re
tire from business. but a large number of
-four johbers finding the process both
easy and profitable. are doping" -four
on their own account. In Atlanta, at
least enc concern buys comparatively
pure -four from the millers. and corn -four
or corn starch from another source. In
a part OF the establishment, set aside for
is in operation. The -four is poured upon
me h0or first a couple of barrels Of gem
vine Hour, then barrel of aduteratant.
Negroes in their bare feet mix I'D the in
grediCHts with hoes. and as soon as they
have thoroughly lntermingled the -four
and the adulterant, the pro <uct is packed
In sacks and sold as pure wheat flour to
local buyers. At last accounts this con-
Germ claimed to be doing a thriving bust
ness and making 40 cents a barrel at it.
This is a very serious situation. Mr.
Edgar said today:
The coru-four men are trying to OBJ
soure the real issue by raising the cry that
we are fighting corn. They say that we
do not want corn used food, and they
are trying 10 array aginst us the congress
men from al! the corn-producing sta es. It
is evident from the dispatches that they
are in measure successful in thus cover
ing the real issue Now. we do not claim
for an instant that corn Is not good food,
that contour is injurious What we
do claim IS that peoD,e have no right to
sci as wheat-four -four which has per-
centage of contour in 1t. Let the con-
sumers mix il themselves if they want to-
or have the aduterated article marked
plainly for what il is.
But the c0rnstarch which is now being
used eXtHns Ve!y in II inOis and other places
South, is not as harmless as the straight
contour The ccrnstarch is a by-product
OF the glucose factories, and becomes a
hard pasty mass Whan eaten 1t is also
very difficult to detect, the chemical
properties Of cornstarch and wheatstarch
are such that it Is difficult TO re;diy dis
tingnish the presence of the de etericus
article. We having samples arayzed
y telegram from Washington says
that Secretary Wilson is taking keen
interest in the investigation of the
adulteratiOn of American flour now be
ing made by the ways and means COM |
mittee of the house
Il have rot been requested to offer
any suggestions OH this subject" he
said yesterday. but if | am, l will rec
Cmmend the most stringent regulation
t. prevent the expectation of any adul-
telated American products. Just now
every foreign country is on the qui we
to find some preteXt for condemning
-Nme1ic lean food products, and We should
DC especially careful to give them no
excuse for doing so. Both Minnesota
ard Iowa have stringent laws against
any adulteration of -four. Unfo1t u-
nately however, the national govern |
ment has no power in the matter ex-
cept at the port of expectation"
he committee on manufactures of
the senate has agreed to give a hear
ing reXt Tuesday to a number of mil
lers. who advocate the passage of Sen
ator Mason's bill, introduced early in
the session.