Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-18
PURE FOODANDDRUG
Topic Discussed at Session of the Con-
gress Today.
ADDRESSES BY PROMINENT SPEAKERS
Secretary Of Agriculture Points Out
Existing Evils.
O q II IRA ABE ABROA AID

| The opening session of the National Pure
| Food and Drug Congress was held this
morning in the hall of the Columbian Uni
versity. There was fair number of the
delegates in the hall when the hour of II
| o'clock arrived, which was the time fixed
for calling the convention to order. On
| the platform with the president Mr.. Jo-
seph T.. Blackburn of Ohio were seated
| those who had parts in the program. As
| the delegates came in they went to the
table where the secretary, Alex. ]. We'd
| derburn, was seated and registered, and
| then received a badge which indicated their
| official dignity as delegates to the Pure
| Food and Drug Congress. All this occupied
| time, which was pleasantly spent by the
| delegates in social conversation and re-
newing acquaintances, and Judging from
the peas of laughter and the hum of con-
versation throughout the hall this feature
| OF the convention highly enjoyed.
| Under the circumstances the program was
! not strictly adhered to as far as the hour
| fixed for opening the convention was con-
| cerned
| The president of the local association,
| Mr: Frank Hume, although his right arm,
| winch was broken some time ago, has not
| peen restored to usefulness, made his left
| hand do double duty and accorded a warm
| welcome to the delegates.
Called to Order.
Shortly before 1 o'clock the president,
| Mr.. Blackburn, called the convention to
| order, and prayer was offered by Rev. Dr.
| Byron Sunderland.
| With few pleasant words from the
| president, Mr.. John r. Wight the president
of the board of District Commissioners,
was introduced and extended a cordial
| greeting to the delegates on behalf of the
city. He said the Commissioners took
| great pleasure in welcoming them to the
city. They were much interested in the
| work of the convention, which has been
| brought TO their attention when the con-
| Venuon was in session here year ago, and
| also by bill now pending in Congress.
| The Commissioners feel, he said, you are
| engaged IN very important work, and in
| this connection he told story of eX-Sena-
| tor Evarts, who said in reply to a friend
| who was sympathizing with him for hav-
| ing to attend so many dinners, and espe-
cially to drink the different wines, that it
| was not the different, but the Indifferent,
| wines that tempted him. So, said the
| speaker, the questions that were occupying
| the attention of the convention, he sup
| posed was the Indifferent articles of food
| offered to the public. He spoke of the great
| value to the public of the efforts which the
! convention was making, and, in closing,
| again warmly welcomed them to the city.
Mr.. Hume's Welcome.
The president of the local association Mr..
Frank Hume, then made a hearty address
|
| LAS chairman of the local advisory COM
mittee, on behalf of the delegates from the
| District of Columbia, it gives me great
| pleasure to we. come you to our city. Every
! American naturally feels at home in the
national capital, this District is owned
! by the entire nation. and was as you all
know, set apart by the fathers as the local
| ity to be owned and controlled forever by
| the government itself, independent of all
| the states, but dependent upon them. The
people of the District of Columbia feel that
| it is not only a privilege, but pleasure,
| for them to welcome the citizens of the
| different states when gathered in our midst.
| "A year ago today there met at the Ma
| tional Hotel committee of gentlemen, self
| constituted if you please, who, after dis
| cuSsing the growing evil of food and drug
| adulteration. believed that the welfare of
all of the people of the United States de
| manded that some effective effort should
| be made to secure the enactment of Il ma
| tional law, which would enable honorable
men to remain in business. That com
| mittee believed that product, no matter
| how good, how healthful or how appetizing
| or useful it might be, should be willing to
| sail under its proper name, and appeal to
| the public confidence and public patronage
| as an honest product and not a dishonest
| one Authorization had become so com
| mon, misbranding and substitution so uni
| versal. and the rapid increase SO alarming,
| that it was felt that something should be
| done to relieve the situation and to compel
| the proper branding of all products that
| enter into human consumption.
Under these conditions that committee
issued a call for pure food and drug con-
| gress to assemble in the city of Washing
| ton on the I'd day of March, 1898 The re-
| suit of that call was most satisfactory.
| Gentlemen assembled from thirty states of
| this Union and carefully considered the
question presented to them, and after days
| of elaboration and thought united with the
| most remarkable unanimity in recommend
, ing the adoption of a bill for the prevention
| of misbranding and aduteration of food
| and drug products. 1t was a source of graf
| ification to the local committee that their
| call had resulted so successfully. They felt
| that they had done their full duty when
| they surrendered to the national orSaniza-
| ton. and thus called into existence an or
| ganization which represented thirty states
! and nearly every important industry en-
gagged in the production, sale and manufac-
! ture of the products upon which man de-
! ponds for life and health.
THE same committee. under direction of
| this body, has during the past year acted
| as the local advisory committee of the ma
tional pure food and drug congress. 1t has
| been pleasant duty to assist in bring
| ing together this present gathering, and it
| is our further pleasure to welcome you to
| our midst and bid you Godspeed in the
great work you have in hand.
ut seems suspicious q know that it was
| not done by design that You should
semble in this city on the anniversary of
the day which the local committee first
met and set in motion the machinery which
| has resulted successfully up to the pres
ent time, and which by your help and that
of the people of this land, We are enabled
| to believe will induce Congress at dis
tant day to enact a law which we so much
need.
"Adulteration is something which, even
| in it's mildcst forms, no honorable man can
contend with. misbranded product is
not only one which does injury to the con-
sumner, who is thus induced to part with his
money for something which he has not ask
ed for, but it prevents men who are trying
to make living, and at the same time do
an honest business, from succeeding. 1t
would be useless to dwell upon the many
evils of adulteration, and especially in adj
dressing body of this character, who are
so familiar with them, and l shall there
fore not occupy your time, but simply urge
you to go on in the good work in which you
have done well and have carried up
to the present time persistently and
earnestly and, as we all trust, so success
fully.
1T is not probable that a single MEM
Der of this body any other well-inform-
ed friend of proper branding and pure food
and drugs would desire to prevent the
manipulation of these products, because it
would be real injury. Admixtures which
a detrimental haalth of