Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-11
PURE FOOD INQUIRY.
The Testimony Given Before the
Senatorial Committee.
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSIONS WORK,
The Farmer Better Able 20 Pay His Debts
Now Than Fifty Years Ago-Farmers
Alleged to he Spectators In
Stocks and Grain.

food investigating committee heiu i's
second session here yesterday Giles
Lewis, druggist Of this city, testified
that, while other countries had laws
which prevented the selling OF adulter-
ated goods in their own countries, no
provisions were made against export
ing them to foreign countries. lie de-
Jared the United States received arti-
lies of food made in Germany and
France that could not be sold in the
country where they were made because
Of the preservatives used. Mr.. Lewis
said adulteration could be divided
into two classes, one OF which was
the adding of coloring matter for the
sake OF appearance, and the other was
to give fictitious values to articles OF
food. His advice to the committee was
that national pure food law be drawn
and permanent commission be in
stalled in Office, the duty of which
would be to prevent the marketing OF
any article of food or drink, domestic
Or imported, that was misrepresented.
The limit of adulteration, he declared
should be governed by the commission
and the committee, he suggested, should
analyze articles and certify to Their
purity by government stamp.
DR.. Wiley next took the stand anc
gave further information to the com
mittee regarding the articles sold II
this country which were adulterated
Among practices that are fraudulent
vet not injurious to the health, he men
toned the sale of fish of cheap variety
and grade for more expensive kinds
especially fish packed in oil. 1t also Il
common custom, DR.. Wiley said fo
dealers to stamp packages with foreigl
stamps and deceive the public into be
lieving it was buying imported goods
Horse flesh, according to the expert
was commonly used for food in Euro
pean countries and labeled as beef, blu
he did not know of its being used t
any great extent in this country. In
sale of turtles in restaurants for terra
pin was also a common means OF dt
frauding the public. Famous wine
and other drinks of foreign countrie
are on sale on American markets tina
never even saw the color of the ocear
Adulterated food and drink while
are injurious to the public health, tn
witness said, could be classed in tw
groups-coloring and preserving. Th
coloring matter was used principal
because it was pleasing to the eye an
made the food more palatable. Prob
bly the most common chemical used
a preventative, according to DIR. Vile
!. is salicylic acid, which is made to
z great extent from carbolic acid. !
!. use should not be permitted he sal
i because it is very injurious, especial
4 to those who have weak stomachs /
il ended his testimony by saying that
y food offered for sale which contaln'
y preservatives was fit to eat.
" AN INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION.
I, Washington, May 5.-Mr LeGran
n =, Power, for eight years labor comm
d sioner of Minnesota, was before the
q dustrial commission yesterday
Al spoke especially of farming condition
!" in the northwestern states, saying tn
. the present tendency among farm han
was toward ownership OF land and tn
= a greater percentage Of farmers nc
owned their own land than so yef
ago. He also expressed the opini
that the farmer who is in debt tod
has ten times the opportunity to d
charge his obligation than the farm
at the beginning of the century hi
Mr.. Power thought the tendency "
' toward small farms and added that
, wheat and cotton and other produ
grown by the small farmer CONTROL
> market prices Mr.. Power also St
Z that many of the agricultural colleI
of the country were conducted up
lines calculated to attract boys e'
"A Gated by them away from farms.
Speculation in grain, he said, did !
70 affect the prices of it except tempo
rilv, nor affect the farmers, except
far as they engaged in speculate
;. "You don't mean to say" sugges
y Gov. Harris, that the farmers spe
10 late?" They do" replied the witn'
very largely they are the lambs VIII
no ~ are shorn on the stock and grain
" changes. Stop the farmers from g
Is. bling and you will stop it all TIN
l0 fourths OF the money thus lost Isl
ne by farmers