The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-01
MASON'S REPORT FILED.
Recommendation of Committee on
Adulterated Food Products.

Washington, March 1.-The senate COM
mittee on manufactures has submitted to
the senate a report on the extensive in
vestigation of food authorizations. Ac-
companying the report is a great mass
of testimony taken in the leading cities
of the country. The report says the i'm
portance of the investigation made and
the legislation proposed can not be too
strongly emphasized. 1t adds:
1.-THE adulteration of prepared or manu-
featured foods is very extensively prac-
ticed and in many cases to the great dis
credit of our manufactures. 1t is only
fair to say, however, that large proper
ton of the American manufacturers who
are engaged in adulteration of food pro-
ducts, do SO in order to meet competi-
! ton.
1T is the purpose of this committee to
adopt this uniform rule: To prohibit the
sale of deleterious land unhealthy food
products and as to those food products
which are simply cheapened by adulter-
ants, to compel the marking of those
goods for what they are D Pc; .ae on 5;
the rest thoroughly regulated
There have been two general ways
suggested as to the matter of regulation
First, to put the important food products
under the internal revenue law, as We
have in the case of butter, filled cheese,
and. at the last congress, Hour. The
pure flour bill has absolutely prohibited
found to be in many cases dangerous to
public health, and has increased the sale
OIL AMERICAN nOQt pIODdDly IWGnlS-1lNe
per cent in other. countries. If the rule
established by this committee can be
ducts we win not only protect the con
sumner and the honest manufacturer who
is willing to sell his goods for what they
are, but we Will also establish a reputa-
ton for our food products which will
assist US to find a ready market for them
in other countries.
1.-THE other plan to regulate the food
products is contained in Senate bill 2, 426,
which establishes a department under the
secretary OF agriculture and provides for
the establishment of a board which shall
fix the standards for foods, drinks. and
for drugs based on the American phar-
f fbis H the ft a. t6.t II n,,Id be
cumbersome to take all the small articles
of food products that are now adulter-
ated and allow their sophistieation or
ing and require a stamp upon each of
the small packages offered for sale.
ITO illustrate:
The evidence before the committee
shows that all our peppers, cinnamon,
ginger and mustard, are adulterated. One
manufacturer testified that he adulter-
ated these large with cocoanut shells and
that the amount of adulterants put in de-
pended upon the man who ordered it.
Sometimes as high as sixty per cent was
seen at a glance, to establish a law for
spices, to compel him to stamp as mixed
spice every package sold; It may be that
such cumbersome legislation viii have
to be made in order to properly punish
is hoped that Senate bill ?. 426 viii reach
all interstate traffic in manufactured pro-
ducts. and that the board established I'M
der the bill will have power to fix stand
ards based upon what is now the stand
ard in the American pharmacopOeia.
In the case of butter cheese and flour
the frauds practiced were 50 apparent
and dealt so with the most important
food products that the revenue plan
seemed to be, and is, wise and successful,
and it may become necessary, if the real
purpose of this bill meets with opposition
and defeat, wise and prudent for this
committee to have prepared and ready
revenue legislation to reach some OF the
most g1aring evils by adding it to the
next revenue bill.
The committee takes up the matter of
the importation of adulterated foods and
says:
If it is the policy to restrict our citi-
zens to the use of pure food, we certainly
should apply the same rule to foreigners
and manufacture goods to be sold in this
country. There is doubt In the minds
of the committee that large amounts of
imported goods are sold in this country,
the sale of which goods would be prOhib-
tied in the country from which thev
GOMEZ
The committee gives some glaring in
stances of this unWholesome and unjust
competition which reputable American
dealers and manufacturers have to meet
and recommends the establishment of
standards of purity for various articles
and the establishment at ports of entry
of inexpensive examinations and tests 10
determine whether imports come up to
these standards.