The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-04

The Charles Schneider Baking Company
RECENTLY wrote to the District Commission
ers calling their attention to the neces-
sity OF amending the act regulating the
inspection Of -four in the District, approved
December q, 1896. The company declares
that II is IN favor of a thorough inspection
of all nour sold to the public in the DIS
trict, but they beg leave TO suggest that
the -four inspectors be practical bakers,
and that they be compelled to not only IN
spect ever barrel. half barrel, quarter
barrel. or one-sixteenth barrel, but also
to weigh Il. in order that the consumers
may be ensured full weight The com
pany also calls the attention OF the Com
missioners to section of the act, which
reads as follows:
1.-The said miller or owner shall forfeit
and pay to the said District Of Columbia
for each offence" etc.
Continuing, the letter says: I'VE are
at a loss to understand how you could
reach the miller in Minneapolis, st. Paul.
or anywhere outside of this jurisdiction,
with legal process if the -four were sold
before it reached the District of Columbia,
which is generally the case. II We were
not to be the judges OF our flour you would
punish us as owners for the shortcomings
of the miller whom you cannot reach.
1.-The intent of section of this act is to
place a few favored merchants in posses
sion of advantages paramount to all other
companies and merchants outside FURNISH
ing -four to the bakers Of the District. BY
virtue Of this law the appointed commits
sioners of flour inspection shall establish
each month the standard for each grade OF
-four. It is evident that by arbitrary rul-
ing and setting the standard they may ex-
clude ali millers outside the District. and
By so doing put themselves in control OF
the whole -four trade, to the injury OF the
consumers and the public. All COMPETE
ton would disappear, and the -four COM
missioners, who are the flour merchants OF
the District. would dictate their own terms
as to purchase and sale OF the -four. This
would seem to us an infringement OF the
laws of interstate commerce. and this form
OF legislation is clearly against public
policy.
"A section of the act allows the flour
dealer in the District of Columbia to blend
three or four brands OF flour together. and
not being liable to inspection as to the re-
suit OF this blending process, this gives to
the resident -four merchant legal authority
and license for the worst kind of adaltera-
ton
The letter goes on to state that 1t is an
admitted and well-known fact that the
adulteTation of flour is possible by the
addition of inferior to better grades and by
the mixing in Of injurious substances, and
says:
Therefore It will be readily seen that
blended -four should not be excluded from
inspection. At least it should be branded
as such with real contents stated on out
side of packages and thus protect the
consumer"
In conclusion, the writer of the letter
admits that the purchaser of -four would
have valid claim for short weight pack
ages IL he should secure a certificate to
that effect from the inspector of flour in
the District Of Columbia, said certificate
TO be given by the inspector TO the pur-
chaser whenever called for.
The communication of the Charles
Schneider Baking Company was referred
by the Commissioners to the -four in
spector of the District, who reported that
there were but three concerns in the city
known to the inspector who blend fiours.
and all of them have their -four inspected
before the blending process is gone
through with. In the case of these firms
the inspector states that second in
spection is made after the blending pro-
cess is completed, although the second
inspection does not seem to be required
by law. According to the inspector all
BLENDED flour so inspected is marked ac-
cording to its grade. quality, etc. Con-
tinuing. the inspector says:
While it is true that there is a Board
Of Flour Inspectors to review the opinion
of the inspector. they are very seldom
called upon, and have nothing to do with
determining the grade or quality of any
-four coming into the District. In the
opinion of the inspector all -four coming
into the District, without respect to
whom it is sent or by whom used or how,
should be inspected. as frequently the in
spector is called upon to issue a eertifi-
cate showing a shortage in weight II
all shippers were advised that all flour
coming to Washington was TO be inspect
ed they would. no doubt. be on the lookout
for said inspection and would not make
any short weight packages.
Under the present law, because all
the flour is not inspected, this fear does
not exist, and the inspector has found that
short weight sacks OF -four have been
shipped into the city where in one barrel
the shortage would amount to six pounds.
In this connection il might be well to
state that where a shortage has been
found by the inspector it has always been
adjusted by the shipper of the flour with
the party receiving the goods in this